---
title: HR 426. General Assembly; support creation of a Black Maternal Health Caucus; urge
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hr426
cite_as: HR 426, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr426
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr426.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr426/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70941
date: 2025-03-03
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr426.md?full=1
bill_number: HR 426
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2025-02-27
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
  - Kim Schofield
  - Derrick Jackson
  - Viola Davis
  - Park Cannon
  - Rhonda Burnough
  - Sandra Scott
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR426/2025
upstream_id: 1987901
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - maternal health
  - Black maternal mortality
  - healthcare disparities
  - legislative caucuses
  - Georgia health policy
---

# HR 426. General Assembly; support creation of a Black Maternal Health Caucus; urge

## Text

House Resolution 426
By: Representatives Schofield of the 63rd, Jackson of the 68th, Davis of the 87th, Cannon of
the 58th, Burnough of the 77th, and others
A RESOLUTION
Urging the General Assembly to support the creation of a Black Maternal Health Caucus; and
for other purposes.
WHEREAS, the United States has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality among
high-income countries, with approximately 700 to 900 pregnancy related deaths per year; and
WHEREAS, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 80
percent of pregnancy related deaths in the United States are preventable; and
WHEREAS, the United States has one of the highest infant mortality rates among
high-income countries, currently ranking 33 out of 36 countries belonging to the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), with an average of 5.58
deaths per 1,000 live births; and
WHEREAS, there is a growing body of evidence that racism and racial bias in healthcare
systems contribute to the national maternal mortality and morbidity crisis and infant
mortality and morbidity, in particular for Black pregnant and postpartum women and infants;
and
WHEREAS, in the United States, Black women are three to four times more likely to die of
pregnancy related causes than non-Hispanic white women, which is a disparity that cannot
be fully explained by differences in access to prenatal care, socioeconomic status, and
general physical health; and
WHEREAS, a key objective of the Georgia Department of Public Health is to reduce health
and mental health disparities among vulnerable and underserved communities and to achieve
health equity throughout Georgia, which should include health equity for Black pregnant
women and infants; and
WHEREAS, statistics have shown that Georgia has one of the highest maternal mortality
rates in the United States at almost twice the national rate; and
WHEREAS, in Georgia, Black women are almost three times more likely to die of pregnancy
related causes than non-Hispanic white women; and
WHEREAS, Georgia has experienced a string of hospital labor and delivery closures across
the state, especially in rural areas; and
WHEREAS, in Georgia, 34.6 percent of counties are defined as maternity care deserts,
compared to 32.6 percent in the United States; and
WHEREAS, chronic health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, obesity,
and diabetes, contribute to high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality, and, in Georgia,
Black women have egregious above-average rates of all of these conditions, resulting in
high-risk pregnancies and poor maternal health outcomes; and
WHEREAS, Medicaid coverage for doula care during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum is
linked to improved maternal and infant health outcomes, as doula-assisted mothers were four
times less likely to have a baby with low birth weight, two times less likely to experience a
birth complication for the mother or infant, and significantly more likely to initiate
breastfeeding; and
WHEREAS, access to quality prenatal, perinatal, and postpartum care is essential to
improving Black maternal health outcomes and reducing preventable maternal deaths; and
WHEREAS, the establishment of a dedicated Georgia legislative Black Maternal Health
Caucus will provide the necessary framework to research, develop, and recommend
evidence-based policies and programs to improve maternal health in Georgia; and
WHEREAS, the establishment of a Georgia legislative Black Maternal Health Caucus will
serve as a coalition of members dedicated to increasing awareness and raising issues related
to poor maternal health outcomes and disparities among Black women, including
disproportionately high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality compared to their white
counterparts.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that
the members of this body urge the General Assembly to create a Georgia legislative Black
Maternal Health Caucus as a venue for members to organize around Georgia's maternal
health crisis and advance policy solutions to improve maternal health outcomes and end
disparities.
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 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 urges the General Assembly to create a legislative Black Maternal Health Caucus to focus on Georgia's high rates of maternal death among Black women.

### Plain-language summary

This resolution does not create a new law or program. Instead, it formally urges the Georgia General Assembly to establish a legislative Black Maternal Health Caucus, a group of lawmakers who would organize around the state's maternal health crisis.
The resolution lays out statistics on maternal and infant mortality in the United States and Georgia, noting that Black women in Georgia are almost three times more likely to die of pregnancy related causes than white women, and that over a third of Georgia counties are considered maternity care deserts. It states that the caucus would research, develop, and recommend evidence-based policies to improve maternal health outcomes and reduce disparities. The resolution also directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies to the public and press.

### What it does

- Urges the General Assembly to create a Georgia legislative Black Maternal Health Caucus made up of members focused on maternal health policy.
- States the caucus's purpose would be to research, develop, and recommend evidence-based policies and programs to improve maternal health in Georgia.
- Cites state and national statistics on maternal mortality, infant mortality, and racial disparities to justify the caucus's creation.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make copies of the resolution available to the public and press.

### Who it affects

The resolution primarily concerns members of the Georgia General Assembly, who would form the proposed caucus, and by extension Black pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and healthcare providers in Georgia, especially in rural areas facing hospital labor and delivery closures.

### Why it matters

If the General Assembly acts on this resolution, lawmakers would gain a dedicated forum to focus on Georgia's maternal mortality crisis, particularly the higher death rates among Black women, potentially shaping future legislation on prenatal care, doula coverage, and rural maternity access.

### Key provisions

- The whereas clauses cite CDC data that 80 percent of pregnancy related deaths nationwide are preventable and that Georgia's maternal mortality rate is almost twice the national rate.
- The whereas clauses state Black women in Georgia are almost three times more likely to die of pregnancy related causes than non-Hispanic white women.
- The resolution notes 34.6 percent of Georgia counties are maternity care deserts, compared to 32.6 percent nationally.
- The resolved clause formally urges the General Assembly to create a Georgia legislative Black Maternal Health Caucus to advance maternal health policy solutions.
- The final clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2025-02-27)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-03-03)
- Sponsors: Kim Schofield, Derrick Jackson, Viola Davis, Park Cannon, Rhonda Burnough, Sandra Scott
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70941

> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr426.md?full=1