HR829 - Recognizing April 11-17, 2025, as Black Maternal Health Week.

      H.R. No. 829       R E S O L U T I O N          WHEREAS, Black Maternal Health Week is being observed from   April 11-17, 2025, to raise awareness of racial disparities in   maternal health outcomes and to rally support for efforts to reduce   maternal mortality and morbidity in Black communities; and          WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control and   Prevention, Black women in the United States are two to three times   more likely than White women to die from pregnancy-related   complications; due in part to this disparity, the nation has the   highest maternal mortality rate among all affluent countries; and          WHEREAS, In Texas, Black women also suffer from higher   maternal death rates than women of other races; among Black women,   more than 134 fatalities occur for every 10,000 delivery   hospitalizations, compared to the overall state average of   approximately 85 fatalities for every 10,000 delivery   hospitalizations; the causes of these disproportionate figures   include socioeconomic factors, obstacles to health care access, and   historical health inequities; and          WHEREAS, The CDC has found that over 80 percent of   pregnancy-related deaths are preventable; compounding the issue,   more than 46 percent of all Texas counties are considered maternity   care deserts, exceeding the national average of 33 percent; as a   consequence, many Texas women are left without access to nearby   hospitals, birthing centers, or obstetric providers, and midwives,   doulas, perinatal health workers, and community-based   organizations are further hindered by structural hurdles to   providing holistic maternity care; and          WHEREAS, Black Maternal Health Week was created by the Black   Mamas Matter Alliance to make Black maternal health a more urgent   priority, and the initiative is returning for its eighth year in   2025 with the theme "Healing Legacies: Strengthening Black Maternal   Health Through Collective Action and Advocacy"; and          WHEREAS, Addressing maternal health disparities requires   ensuring access to quality, affordable health care for everyone,   and Black Maternal Health Week serves as an opportune time to   reaffirm our commitment to building a future where all mothers,   families, and communities thrive; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas   Legislature hereby recognize April 11-17, 2025, as Black Maternal   Health Week and call on all Texans to support the goal of raising   the standard of care for mothers in our state and nation.     Rose     Burrows Guerra Morales Shaw   Alders Guillen Morgan   Allen Harless Muñoz   Anchía Harris Noble   Ashby Harris Davila Olcott   Barry Harrison Oliverson   Bell of Kaufman Hayes Ordaz   Bell of Montgomery Hefner Orr   Bernal Hernandez Patterson   Bhojani Hickland Paul   Bonnen Hinojosa Perez of El Paso   Bowers Holt Perez of Harris   Bryant Hopper Phelan   Buckley Howard Pierson   Bucy Hull Plesa   Bumgarner Hunter Raymond   Button Isaac Reynolds   Cain Johnson Richardson   Campos Jones of Dallas Rodríguez Ramos   Canales Jones of Harris Romero   Capriglione Kerwin Rose   Cole King Rosenthal   Collier Kitzman Schatzline   Cook LaHood Schofield   Cortez Lalani Schoolcraft   Craddick Lambert Shaheen   Cunningham Landgraf Shofner   Curry Leach Simmons   Darby Leo Wilson Slawson   A. Davis of Dallas Little Smithee   Y. Davis of Dallas Longoria Spiller   Dean Lopez of Bexar Swanson   DeAyala Lopez of Cameron Talarico   Dorazio Louderback Tepper   Dutton Lowe Thompson   Dyson Lozano Tinderholt   Fairly Lujan Toth   Flores Luther Troxclair   Frank Manuel Turner   Gámez Martinez VanDeaver   Garcia of Bexar Martinez Fischer Vasut   Garcia of Dallas McLaughlin Villalobos   Garcia Hernandez McQueeney Virdell   Gates Metcalf Vo   Gerdes Meyer Walle   Geren Meza Ward Johnson   Gervin-Hawkins Money Wharton   González of Dallas Moody Wilson   González of El Paso Morales of Harris Wu   Goodwin Morales of Maverick Zwiener     ______________________________   Speaker of the House                 I certify that H.R. No. 829 was adopted by the House on April   10, 2025, by a non-record vote.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House