--- title: HR 395. Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month; month of May; designate collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr395 cite_as: HR 395, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr395 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr395.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr395/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70826 date: 2025-02-28 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-09-12 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr394.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr396.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 129 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr395.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 395 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-26 last_action: House Second Readers sponsors: - Park Cannon - Tanya Miller - Jasmine Clark - Debra Bazemore - Miriam Paris text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR395/2025 upstream_id: 1985966 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - maternal mental health - postpartum depression - public health awareness - Georgia legislature resolutions --- # HR 395. Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month; month of May; designate ## Text House Resolution 395 By: Representatives Cannon of the 58th, Miller of the 62nd, Clark of the 108th, Bazemore of the 69th, and Paris of the 142nd A RESOLUTION Designating the month of May as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, over 100,000 babies are born in the State of Georgia each year; and WHEREAS, between 10 and 20 percent of new and expectant mothers are affected by perinatal depression and related mood disorders, such as anxiety and psychosis, and frequently experience symptoms which are overlooked and heavily stigmatized, causing them to feel confused, ashamed, and isolated; and WHEREAS, perinatal depression and related mood disorders affect all women and teenage girls equally, regardless of their age, race, or income level; and WHEREAS, perinatal depression is highly treatable with therapeutic intervention such as medication, professional therapy and counseling, support groups, and community support services, including crisis hotlines, but there is a general lack of knowledge of and use of screening and assessment tools for perinatal depression and related mood disorders; and WHEREAS, many women at risk for perinatal depression often do not seek help because they are not informed about perinatal depression and related mood disorders as part of their healthcare; and WHEREAS, if left untreated, perinatal depression and related mood disorders in new and expectant mothers can have a profound impact on families and significantly contribute to adverse developmental and behavioral outcomes and attachment disorders in young children; and WHEREAS, to promote maternal and infant mental health in the State of Georgia, there is a need for heightened awareness and increased education among all citizens in this state regarding the incidence of perinatal depression and related mood disorders and the availability of prenatal screening tools and treatment, prevention, and support services. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body: (1) Designate May of each year as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month in the State of Georgia; (2) Encourage officials and departments of state, county, and municipal governments, businesses, and all citizens to participate in appropriate programs and activities that facilitate increased awareness and education about perinatal and related mood disorders throughout each May during Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month; and (3) Respectfully request the Governor to issue annually a proclamation recognizing May in the State of Georgia as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month and call upon the people in the State of Georgia to observe the month with appropriate programs and activities. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to Governor Brian Kemp and the public and the press. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution would designate May as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month, encouraging statewide education about depression and mood disorders affecting new and expectant mothers. ### Plain-language summary This resolution addresses perinatal depression and related mood disorders, conditions that affect an estimated 10 to 20 percent of new and expectant mothers in Georgia but are often overlooked, stigmatized, or left untreated. The resolution notes that more than 100,000 babies are born in Georgia each year and that untreated maternal mental health conditions can affect child development and family well-being. The resolution designates May of each year as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month in Georgia. It encourages state, county, and municipal officials, businesses, and citizens to take part in programs and activities that raise awareness during that month. It also asks the Governor to issue an annual proclamation recognizing the observance, and directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the Governor and the press. As a resolution rather than a bill, it does not create new legal requirements or funding. ### What it does - Designates May of each year as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month in the State of Georgia. - Encourages state, county, and municipal governments, businesses, and citizens to hold awareness and education programs during May. - Respectfully requests the Governor to issue an annual proclamation recognizing the observance. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute copies of the resolution to the Governor and the 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 each May. ### Why it matters The resolution does not change any law or fund any program, but it formally calls attention to perinatal depression and related mood disorders, which the resolution says often go undiagnosed and untreated, potentially encouraging more public education and use of screening and support services. ### Key provisions - The preamble states that 10 to 20 percent of new and expectant mothers in Georgia are affected by perinatal depression and related mood disorders. - Item (1) designates May as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month in Georgia. - Item (2) encourages government officials, businesses, and citizens to participate in awareness and education activities during May. - Item (3) requests that the Governor issue an annual proclamation recognizing the month. - A final resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies to the Governor and the press. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-02-26) - Last action: House Second Readers (2025-02-28) - Sponsors: Park Cannon, Tanya Miller, Jasmine Clark, Debra Bazemore, Miriam Paris - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70826 > The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr395.md?full=1