BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH WEEK

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0237

Select Language

×

The Illinois General Assembly offers the Google Translate™ service for visitor convenience. In no way should it be considered accurate as to the translation of any content herein.

Visitors of the Illinois General Assembly website are encouraged to use other translation services available on the internet.

The English language version is always the official and authoritative version of this website.

NOTE: To return to the original English language version, select the "Show Original" button on the Google Translate™ menu bar at the top of the window.

Choose Language

English

Afrikaans

Albanian

Arabic

Armenian

Azerbaijani

Basque

Bengali

Bosnian

Catalan

Croatian

Czech

Danish

Dutch

Esperanto

Estonian

Filipino

Finnish

French

Galician

Georgian

German

Greek

Gujarati

Haitian Creole

Hausa

Hawaiian

Hebrew

Hindi

Hungarian

Icelandic

Indonesian

Interlingua

Interlingue

Inuktitut

Irish

Italian

Japanese

Javanese

Kannada

Khmer

Korean

Latin

Latvian

Lithuanian

Luxembourgish

Macedonian

Malagasy

Malayalam

Maltese

Maori

Marathi

Myanmar

Nepali

Norwegian

Odia

Pashto

Punjabi

Romanian

Russian

Samoan

Sango

Sanskrit

Sardinian

Sindhi

Sinhala

Slovak

Slovenian

Somali

Southern Sotho

Spanish

Sundanese

Swahili

Swedish

Tamil

Telugu

Thai

Tigrinya

Tonga

Turkish

Ukrainian

Urdu

Vietnamese

Welsh

Xhosa

Yiddish

Yoruba

Zulu

Powered by
Translate

Close

Illinois General Assembly

Top Navigation Bar

Translate

Learn

Select General Assembly

Search the 104th General Assembly

Enter search terms for legislation, members, committees, or schedules.

ILGA.GOV

LEGISLATION & LAWS

Bills & Resolutions

Public Acts

Illinois Compiled Statutes

Illinois Constitution

Search Legislation

Glossary

Guide

Reports & Inquiry

Legislative Reports

Special Reports

FTP Site

Legislator Lookup

Capitol Complex Phone Numbers

Rules & Regulations

Illinois Register

Administrative Rules

Senate

Members

Schedules

Committees

Request for Remote Testimony

Journals

Transcripts

Rules

Audio/Video

FOIA Information

Senate Employment Opportunities

Media Guidelines

House

Members

Schedules

Committees

Submit testimony for House Committees

Journals

Transcripts

Rules

Audio/Video

FOIA Information

House Employment Opportunities

Log In

Mobile Top Bar

Search the 104th General Assembly

Enter keywords to search the Illinois General Assembly website.

Full Text of HR0237

Home

Legislation

Full Text

HR0237 - 104th General Assembly

Bill Status

Full Text

Votes

Witness Slips

Select Menu

Bill Status

Full Text

Votes

Witness Slips

Printer Friendly Version

Introduced

Printer Friendly Version

Introduced

Open PDF

HR0237
LRB104 12780 MST 24051 r
1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

2

WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control and
3
Prevention, Black women in the United States are two to three
4
times more likely than White women to die from
5
pregnancy-related causes; and

6

WHEREAS, Black women and people living in low-income and
7
rural communities in the United States are most likely to
8
suffer from life-threatening pregnancy complications, known as
9
maternal morbidities; and

10

WHEREAS, Maternal mortality rates in the United States are
11
among the highest in the developed world with 23.8 deaths per
12
100,000 live births in 2020, 32.9 in 2021, 22.3 in 2022, and
13
18.6 in 2023; and

14

WHEREAS, The United States has the highest maternal
15
mortality rate among affluent countries, in part because of
16
the disproportionate mortality rate of Black women; and

17

WHEREAS, According to the 2025 CDC Report, in 2023, the
18
U.S maternal mortality rate decreased for White (14.5),
19
Hispanic (12.4), and Asian (10.7) women but increased to 50.3
20
deaths per 100,000 live births for Black women; and

HR0237
- 2 -
LRB104 12780 MST 24051 r
1

WHEREAS, KFF, which was formerly known as The Kaiser
2
Family Foundation, reported that from 2018-2022, the maternal
3
mortality rate in Illinois was 18 per 100,000 live births; and

4

WHEREAS, Black women are 50 percent more likely than all
5
other women to give birth to premature, low birth weight, and
6
very low birth weight infants; 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, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
11
found that more than 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths
12
are preventable; and

13

WHEREAS, The leading causes of maternal mortality among
14
Black women and birthing persons include eclampsia,
15
preeclampsia, postpartum cardiomyopathy, and obstetric
16
embolism, and these conditions impact Black women and birthing
17
people disproportionately; and

18

WHEREAS, Structural racism, gender oppression, and the
19
social determinants of health inequities experienced by Black
20
women in the United States significantly contribute to the
21
disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality and

HR0237
- 3 -
LRB104 12780 MST 24051 r
1
morbidity among Black women; and

2

WHEREAS, Racism and discrimination play a consequential
3
role in maternal health care experiences and outcomes of Black
4
birthing people; and

5

WHEREAS, The overturn of Roe v. Wade impacts Black women
6
and birthing people's right to reproductive healthcare and
7
bodily autonomy and further perpetuates reproductive
8
oppression as a tool to control women's bodies; and

9

WHEREAS, A fair and wide distribution of resources and
10
birth options, especially with regard to reproductive health
11
care services and maternal health programming, is critical to
12
addressing inequities in maternal health outcomes; and

13

WHEREAS, States and rural counties with higher Black
14
population rates have severe maternity care deserts, where
15
there are no hospitals or birth centers offering obstetric
16
care and no obstetric providers and diminished access to
17
reproductive healthcare providers due to low Medicaid
18
reimbursements, rising costs, and persistent healthcare
19
workforce shortages; and

20

WHEREAS, Illinoisans face higher rates of maternity care
21
deserts with 34.3 percent of counties defined as maternity

HR0237
- 4 -
LRB104 12780 MST 24051 r
1
care deserts compared to the 32.6 percent national average,
2
where women of childbearing age do not have access to
3
hospitals or birth centers offering maternity care or
4
obstetric providers; and

5

WHEREAS, Maternity care deserts lead to higher risks of
6
maternal morbidity and mortality as most complications occur
7
in the postpartum period when birthing people are far away
8
from their providers; and

9

WHEREAS, Black midwives, doulas, perinatal health workers,
10
and community-based organizations provide holistic maternal
11
care and support but face structural and legal barriers to
12
licensure, reimbursement, and provision of care; and

13

WHEREAS, Black women and birthing persons experience
14
increased barriers to accessing prenatal and postpartum care,
15
including maternal mental health care; and

16

WHEREAS, COVID-19, which has disproportionately harmed
17
Black Americans, is associated with an increased risk for
18
adverse pregnancy outcomes and maternal and neonatal
19
complications; and

20

WHEREAS, New data from the Centers for Disease Control and
21
Prevention has indicated that since the COVID-19 pandemic, the

HR0237
- 5 -
LRB104 12780 MST 24051 r
1
maternal mortality rate for Black women has increased by 26
2
percent; and

3

WHEREAS, There are concerted efforts to increase uptake of
4
maternal vaccinations; and

5

WHEREAS, Even as there is growing concern about improving
6
access to mental health services, Black women are least likely
7
to have access to mental health screenings, treatment, and
8
support before, during, and after pregnancy; and

9

WHEREAS, Black pregnant and postpartum workers are
10
disproportionately denied reasonable accommodations in the
11
workplace, leading to adverse pregnancy outcomes; and

12

WHEREAS, Black pregnant people disproportionately
13
experience surveillance and punishment, including shackling
14
incarcerated people during labor, drug testing mothers and
15
infants without informed consent, separating mothers from
16
their newborns, and criminalizing pregnancy outcomes such as
17
miscarriage; and

18

WHEREAS, Black women and birthing people experience
19
pervasive racial injustice in the criminal justice, social,
20
and health care systems; and

HR0237
- 6 -
LRB104 12780 MST 24051 r
1

WHEREAS, Justice-informed, culturally congruent models of
2
care are beneficial to Black women; and

3

WHEREAS, An investment must be made in maternity care for
4
Black women and birthing persons, including care led by the
5
communities most affected by the maternal health crisis in the
6
State of Illinois, continuous health insurance coverage to
7
support Black women and birthing persons for the full
8
postpartum period at least one year after giving birth, and
9
policies that support and promote affordable, comprehensive,
10
and holistic maternal health care that is free from gender and
11
racial discrimination, regardless of incarceration; therefore,
12
be it

13

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
14
HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
15
we declare April 11-17, 2025 as Black Maternal Health Week in
16
the State of Illinois; and be it further

17

RESOLVED, That we recognize that Black women are
18
experiencing high, disproportionate rates of maternal
19
mortality and morbidity in the State of Illinois; and be it
20
further

21

RESOLVED, That we recognize that the alarmingly high rates
22
of maternal mortality among Black women are unacceptable and

HR0237
- 7 -
LRB104 12780 MST 24051 r
1
unjust; and be it further

2

RESOLVED, In order to better mitigate the effects of
3
systemic and structural racism, the Black community must have
4
(1) safe and affordable housing, (2) transportation equity,
5
(3) nutritious food, (4) clean air and water, (5) environments
6
free from toxins, (6) decriminalization, removal of civil
7
penalties, end of surveillance, and end of mandatory reporting
8
within the criminal and family regulation system, (7) safety
9
and freedom from violence, (8) a living wage, (9) equal
10
economic opportunity, (10) a sustained and expansive workforce
11
pipeline for diverse perinatal professionals, and (11)
12
comprehensive, high-quality, and affordable health care,
13
including access to the full spectrum of reproductive care;
14
and be it further

15

RESOLVED, That in order to improve maternal health
16
outcomes, we must fully support and encourage policies
17
grounded in the human rights, reproductive justice, and birth
18
justice frameworks that address maternal health inequities;
19
and be it further

20

RESOLVED, That Black women and birthing persons must be
21
active participants in the policy decisions that impact their
22
lives; and be it further

HR0237
- 8 -
LRB104 12780 MST 24051 r
1

RESOLVED, That in order to ensure access to safe and
2
respectful maternal health care for Black birthing people, the
3
Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act and other legislation
4
rooted in human rights that seeks to improve maternal care and
5
outcomes must be passed; and be it further

6

RESOLVED, That Black Maternal Health Week is an
7
opportunity (1) to deepen the national conversation about
8
Black maternal health in the United States, (2) to amplify and
9
invest in community-driven policy, research, and quality care
10
solutions, (3) to center the voices of Black Mamas, women,
11
families, and stakeholders, (4) to provide a national platform
12
for Black-led entities and efforts on maternal and mental
13
health, birth equity, and reproductive justice, (5) to enhance
14
community organizing on Black maternal health, and (6) to
15
support efforts to increase funding and advance policies for
16
Black-led and centered community-based organizations and
17
perinatal birth workers that provide the full spectrum of
18
reproductive, maternal, and sexual healthcare.

Footer

Disclaimer

This site is maintained for the Illinois General Assembly by the
Legislative Information System, 705 Stratton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706.

Contact ILGA Webmaster

ILGA.gov uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse ILGA.gov you consent to our use of cookies.
Read About Cookies

ILGA.GOV

2026 ILGA.gov | All Rights Reserved |
ADA

|
Disclaimers
|
Learn

This site is maintained for the Illinois General Assembly by the
Legislative Information System, 705 Stratton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706.
Contact ILGA Webmaster

ILGA.gov uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse ILGA.gov you consent to our use of cookies.
Read About Cookies

ILGA.GOV

2026 ILGA.gov | All Rights Reserved |
ADA

|
Disclaimers
|
Learn