HR 150 — A Resolution recognizing the week of April 11 through 17, 2025, as "Black Maternal Health Week" in Pennsylvania to bring attention to the maternal health crisis and the importance of reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among Black women and birthing persons.

PRINTER'S NO.    1180

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



              HOUSE RESOLUTION
                 No. 150
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY CURRY, CEPHAS, MAYES, GIRAL, HOHENSTEIN, HILL-
        EVANS, McNEILL, VITALI, WAXMAN, VENKAT, McANDREW, NEILSON,
        PIELLI, SCHLOSSBERG, PROBST, SANCHEZ, KHAN, MADDEN,
        D. WILLIAMS, PARKER, CARROLL, BELLMON, O'MARA, DEASY,
        SAMUELSON, BOYD, CERRATO, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, RIVERA, STEELE,
        K.HARRIS AND SHUSTERMAN, MARCH 31, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH, MARCH 31, 2025


                                  A RESOLUTION
 1   Recognizing the week of April 11 through 17, 2025, as "Black
 2      Maternal Health Week" in Pennsylvania to bring attention to
 3      the maternal health crisis and the importance of reducing
 4      maternal mortality and morbidity among Black women and
 5      birthing persons.
 6         WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control and
 7   Prevention, Black women in the United States are 2.6 times more
 8   likely than White women to die from pregnancy-related causes;
 9   and
10         WHEREAS, Black women in the United States suffer from life-
11   threatening pregnancy complications, known as maternal
12   morbidities, twice as often as White women; and
13         WHEREAS, Maternal mortality rates in the United States are
14   among the highest of any member country of the Organization for
15   Economic Co-operation and Development and are increasing rapidly
16   from 17.4 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2018, to 32.1 deaths
17   per 100,000 live births in 2021; and
 1      WHEREAS, The United States has the highest maternal mortality
 2   rate among affluent countries, in part because of the
 3   disproportionate maternal mortality rate of Black women; and
 4      WHEREAS, The rate of preterm births among Black women is
 5   nearly 50% higher than the preterm birth rate among White or
 6   Hispanic women; and
 7      WHEREAS, The high rates of maternal mortality among Black
 8   women span across income levels, education levels and
 9   socioeconomic status; and
10      WHEREAS, In 2020, the overall pregnancy-associated mortality
11   rate for this Commonwealth was 83 deaths per 100,000 live
12   births; and
13      WHEREAS, In 2020, the pregnancy-associated mortality rate for
14   non-Hispanic Blacks was 148 deaths per 100,000 live births, two
15   times the rate of deaths for non-Hispanic Whites; and
16      WHEREAS, More than 51% of deaths occurred between 43 and 365
17   days of delivery, beyond the standard 60 days of medical
18   assistance coverage for pregnant women in this Commonwealth; and
19      WHEREAS, More than 93% of pregnancy-related deaths in this
20   Commonwealth are considered preventable; and
21      WHEREAS, Fifty-three percent of cases of maternal death in
22   this Commonwealth between 2013 and 2018 affected mothers who
23   were enrolled in medical assistance when they delivered; and
24      WHEREAS, Approximately one-half of pregnancy-associated death
25   cases in this Commonwealth did not receive adequate prenatal
26   care; and
27      WHEREAS, Philadelphia County accounts for 20% of this
28   Commonwealth's maternal deaths with an average of 18 deaths per
29   year; and
30      WHEREAS, Philadelphia County's rate of pregnancy-related

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 1   deaths from 2013 to 2018 was approximately 20 per 100,000 live
 2   births, which is higher than the 2018 national rate of 17.4 per
 3   100,000 live births; and
 4      WHEREAS, In 2018, pregnancy-related deaths for Black women
 5   and birthing persons in Pittsburgh was higher than 97% of
 6   similar cities in the United States, despite starting prenatal
 7   care earlier than Black pregnant individuals in similar cities
 8   and having lower rates of gestational diabetes, hypertension and
 9   infection; and
10      WHEREAS, In Allegheny County at large, Black women are dying
11   at a rate three times higher than White women; therefore be it
12      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
13   week of April 11 through 17, 2025, as "Black Maternal Health
14   Week" in Pennsylvania to bring attention to the maternal health
15   crisis and the importance of reducing maternal mortality and
16   morbidity among Black women and birthing persons.




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