[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 539 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 539

  Recognizing the maternal health crisis in the United States and the 
  importance of reducing mortality and morbidity among all women, and 
                           honoring mothers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 19, 2021

 Mr. McEachin (for himself, Ms. Underwood, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Ms. 
 Spanberger, and Ms. Wexton) submitted the following resolution; which 
          was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Recognizing the maternal health crisis in the United States and the 
  importance of reducing mortality and morbidity among all women, and 
                           honoring mothers.

Whereas the pregnancy-related mortality ratio, defined as the number of 
        pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000 live births, more than doubled 
        between 1987 and 2017;
Whereas the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among 
        developed countries;
Whereas of all pregnancy-related deaths between 2011 and 2015--

    (1) nearly 31 percent occurred during pregnancy;

    (2) about 36 percent occurred during childbirth or the week after 
childbirth; and

    (3) 33 percent occurred between one week and one year postpartum;

Whereas more than 60 percent of maternal deaths in the United States are 
        preventable;
Whereas, in 2014 alone, 50,000 women suffered from a ``near miss'' or severe 
        maternal morbidity, which includes potentially life-threatening 
        complications that arise from labor and childbirth;
Whereas 28 percent of women who gave birth in a hospital in the United States 
        reported experiencing one or more types of mistreatment, such as--

    (1) loss of autonomy;

    (2) being shouted at, scolded, or threatened; and

    (3) being ignored or refused or receiving no response to requests for 
help;

Whereas certain social determinants of health, including bias and racism, have a 
        negative impact on maternal health outcomes;
Whereas significant disparities in maternal health exist, including that--

    (1) Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native women are more than 3 
times as likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause as are White women;

    (2) Black women are more than 2 times as likely to suffer from severe 
maternal morbidity as are White women;

    (3) American Indian, Alaska Native, and Hispanic women are about 1.5 
times as likely to suffer from severe maternal morbidity as are White 
women;

    (4) women who live in rural areas have a greater likelihood of severe 
maternal morbidity and mortality compared to women who live in urban areas;

    (5) over 50 percent of rural counties do not have a hospital with 
obstetric services;

    (6) counties with more Black and Hispanic residents and lower median 
incomes are less likely to have access to hospital obstetric services, and 
existing hospital obstetric services in such counties are more likely to be 
closed;

    (7) American Indian and Alaska Native women living in rural communities 
are twice as likely as the general population of women nationwide to report 
receiving late or no prenatal care; and

    (8) Black, American Indian, Alaska Native, and Hispanic women seeking 
maternal care are more likely to be mistreated by their providers;

Whereas 48 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have designated 
        Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs) that--

    (1) despite remaining inactive in the late 1980s, resurged in 2016 due 
to a disparate rate of deaths by race;

    (2) work in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (in this resolution, referred to as the ``CDC'') to 
comprehensively assess maternal deaths, identify opportunities for 
prevention, and provide recommendations to reduce maternal deaths; and

    (3) have shown that understanding, raising awareness, and developing 
policies specific to maternal health lead to improved health outcomes;

Whereas there has been an increase in participating States promoting consistent 
        and safe maternity care through the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal 
        Health, demonstrating the urgency and importance that States are under 
        and the need for Federal initiatives to reduce maternal morbidity and 
        mortality;
Whereas community-based maternal health care models, including midwifery 
        childbirth services, doula support services, community and perinatal 
        health worker services, and group prenatal care, in collaboration with 
        culturally competent physician care, show great promise in improving 
        maternal health outcomes and reducing disparities in maternal health 
        outcomes;
Whereas many organizations have implemented initiatives to educate patients and 
        providers about--

    (1) all causes of, contributing factors to, and disparities in maternal 
mortality;

    (2) the prevention of pregnancy-related deaths; and

    (3) the importance of listening to and empowering all women to report 
pregnancy-related medical issues;

Whereas the CDC, for the first time in over a decade, released a report on 
        January 30, 2020, assessing the United States maternal mortality rate 
        which--

    (1) found in 2018, the maternal mortality rate was 17.4 maternal deaths 
per 100,000 live births;

    (2) found the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black women was 
more than double that of non-Hispanic White women at 37.1 deaths per 
100,000 live births compared to 14.7, and 3 times the rate of Hispanic 
women (11.8); and

    (3) used a new standardized methodology to improve the accuracy of 
States reporting maternal deaths, but still had methodological concerns 
potentially leading to the underreporting of maternal mortality data (such 
as the CDC report excluding mothers over the age of 44 and only accounting 
for deaths within 42 days of giving birth, potentially omitting later 
postpartum deaths);

Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has added increased risks and burdens to pregnant 
        women, such as--

    (1) an increased rate of severe COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, 
and mortality; and

    (2) increased anxiety throughout pregnancy and during delivery;

Whereas COVID-19 vaccine trials for pregnant women were delayed, leading to 
        conflicting guidelines and vaccine hesitancy among mothers;
Whereas among COVID-19 infections in pregnant women--

    (1) Hispanic women have a disproportionate risk for SARS-CoV-2 
infection and a higher risk for death compared with nonpregnant Hispanic 
women;

    (2) Asian and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women have a 
disproportionately greater risk for intensive care unit admission; and

    (3) Black women have a disproportionally greater risk of death; and

Whereas several States, communities, and organizations recognize January 23 as 
        ``Maternal Health Awareness Day'' to raise awareness about maternal 
        health and promote maternal safety: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) acknowledges the United States deeply troubling 
        maternal health crisis and supports expedited Federal action on 
        reducing the rates of maternal mortality in the United States, 
        including--
                    (A) raising public awareness about maternal 
                mortality, maternal morbidity, and disparities in 
                maternal health outcomes; and
                    (B) encouraging the Federal Government, States, 
                territories, Tribes, local communities, public health 
                organizations, physicians, health care providers, and 
                others to take action to reduce adverse maternal health 
                outcomes and improve maternal safety;
            (2) promotes initiatives--
                    (A) to address and eliminate disparities in 
                maternal health outcomes;
                    (B) to ensure respectful and equitable maternity 
                care practices; and
                    (C) to decrease COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and 
                increase vaccine availability among pregnant women;
            (3) honors the mothers who have passed away as a result of 
        pregnancy-related causes;
            (4) supports collecting better data on maternal mortality 
        and morbidity; and
            (5) supports and recognizes the need for further 
        investments in efforts to improve maternal health, eliminate 
        disparities in maternal health outcomes, and promote respectful 
        and equitable maternity care practices.
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