Georgia CommonsHouse · Introduced · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HR 395: Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month; month of May; designate
Last action February 28, 2025 · House Second Readers
A Georgia House resolution would designate May of each year as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month, encouraging state, county, and local governments and citizens to raise awareness about perinatal depression.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
This resolution does not change any Georgia law or create any new program. Instead, it formally designates May as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month in Georgia each year. It cites statistics showing that 10 to 20 percent of new and expectant mothers experience perinatal depression and related mood disorders, and notes that these conditions are often overlooked, stigmatized, and untreated because of a lack of awareness and screening. The resolution encourages state, county, and municipal government officials, departments, businesses, and citizens to take part in programs and activities during May that promote awareness and education about perinatal mood disorders. It also asks the Governor to issue an annual proclamation recognizing the month, and directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the Governor and the public and press.
What the bill does
- Designates May of each year as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month in the State of Georgia.
- Encourages state, county, and municipal government officials and departments, businesses, and citizens to participate in awareness and education activities each May.
- Requests that the Governor issue an annual proclamation recognizing May as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute copies of the resolution to the Governor and to the public and press.
Who it affects
New and expectant mothers and teenage girls affected by perinatal depression and related mood disorders, along with state, county, and municipal government officials, businesses, and the general public who are encouraged to participate in awareness activities during May.
Why it matters
The resolution itself creates no funding, screening requirement, or legal obligation, but it formally puts the state's attention on perinatal depression, a condition the resolution says often goes untreated because mothers are not informed about screening and support services available to them.
Key provisions
- Paragraph (1) designates May of each year as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month in Georgia.
- Paragraph (2) encourages government officials, departments, businesses, and citizens to participate in awareness programs and activities each May.
- Paragraph (3) respectfully requests that the Governor issue an annual proclamation recognizing the month and call on Georgians to observe it.
- The final resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the Governor and to the public and press.
From the bill
“Designate May of each year as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month in the State of Georgia”
“between 10 and 20 percent of new and expectant mothers are affected by perinatal depression and related mood disorders”
Status timeline
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Park Cannon (D, HD-58)
- Tanya F. Miller (D, HD-62)
- Jasmine Clark (D, HD-108)
- Debra Bazemore (D, HD-69)
- Miriam Paris (D, HD-142)
Topics
- maternal mental health
- perinatal depression
- postpartum awareness
- public health awareness month