,,iii  #aaf? ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 ,,res4 #dgi  ,,9 ,,! ,,s5ate ,,( ,,!
 ,,unit$ ,,/ates  ,janu>y #ba1 #bjbj,mr4
 ,book] 7= himself1 ,mr4 ,m55dez1 & ,ms4
 ,h>ris7 submitt$ ! foll[+ resolution2  
:i* 0 ref]r$ to ! ,committee on !       
,judici>y  ,,resolution  ,designat+     
,janu>y #bc1 #bjbj1 z ,mat]nal ,heal?   
,aw>5ess ,day4  ,:]eas1 e ye> 9 ! ,unit$
 ,/ates1 approximately #gjj wom5 die z a
 result ( complications relat$ to       
pregnancy & *ildbir?2 ,:]eas !          
pregnancy-relat$ mortality ratio1 def9$ 
z ! numb] ( pregnancy-relat$ dea?s p]   
#ajj1jjj live bir?s1 m ?an d\bl$ betwe5 
#aihg & #bjaf2 ,:]eas ! ,unit$ ,/ates is
 ! only develop$ c\ntry ^: mat]nal      
mortality rate has increas$ ov] ! la/   
sev]al decades2 ,:]eas1 ( all           
pregnancy-relat$ dea?s betwe5 #bjaa &   
#bjae-- 7#a7 ne>ly #ca p]c5t occurr$    
dur+ pregnancy2  7#b7 ab\t #cf p]c5t    
occurr$ dur+ *ildbir? or ! week aft]    
*ildbir?2 &  7#c7 #cc p]c5t occurr$     
betwe5 #a week & #a ye> po/p>tum2       

,:]eas m ?an #fj p]c5t ( mat]nal dea?s 9
 ! ,unit$ ,/ates are prev5table2 ,:]eas1
 9 #bjad alone1 #ej1jjj wom5 suff]$ f a 
ne> miss or sev]e mat]nal morbidity1 :i*
 includes pot5tially life-?reat5+       
complications t arise f labor &         
*ildbir?2 ,:]eas #bh p]c5t ( wom5 :o    
gave bir? 9 a hospital 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates
 report$ exp]i5c+ #a or m types (       
mi/reatm5t1 su* z--  7#a7 loss (        
autonomy2  7#b7 be+ %\t$ at1 scold$1 or 
?reat5$2 &  7#c7 be+ ignor$ or refus$ or
 receiv+ no response to reque/s = help2 
,:]eas c]ta9 social det]m9ants ( heal?1 
includ+ bias & racism1 h a negative     
impact on mat]nal heal? outcomes2 ,:]eas
 significant disp>ities 9 mat]nal heal? 
exi/1 includ+ t-- 7#a7 ,black wom5 are m
 ?an #c times z likely to die f a       
pregnancy-relat$ cause z are ,:ite wom52
  7#b7 ,am]ican ,indian & ,alaska       
,native wom5 are m ?an twice z likely to
 die f a pregnancy-relat$ cause z are   
,:ite wom52  7#c7 ,black1 ,am]ican      
,indian1 & ,alaska ,native wom5 ) at    

lea/ "s college education are m likely  
to die f a pregnancy-relat$ cause ?an   
are wom5 ( all o!r racial & e?nic       
backgr\nds ) less ?an a high s*ool      
diploma2  7#d7 ,black1 ,am]ican ,indian1
 & ,alaska ,native wom5 are ab\t twice z
 likely to suff] f sev]e mat]nal        
morbidity z are ,:ite wom52  7#e7 wom5  
:o live 9 rural areas h a great]        
likelihood ( sev]e mat]nal morbidity &  
mortality comp>$ to wom5 :o live 9 urban
 areas2  7#f7 ne>ly  ( rural c\nties d n
 h a hospital ) ob/etric s]vices2  7#g7 
c\nties ) m ,black & ,hispanic resid5ts 
& l[] m$ian incomes are less likely to h
 access to hospital ob/etric s]vices2   
7#h7 m ?an #ej p]c5t ( wom5 :o live 9 a 
rural area mu/ travel m ?an #cj m9utes  
to access hospital ob/etric s]vices1    
comp>$ to #g p]c5t ( wom5 :o live 9     
urban areas2 &  7#i7 ,am]ican ,indian & 
,alaska ,native wom5 liv+ 9 rural       
communities are twice z likely z _!     
,:ite c\nt]p>ts to report receiv+ late  
or no pr5atal c>e2  ,:]eas m ?an #dj    

,/ates h designat$ committees to review 
mat]nal dea?s2 ,:]eas ,/ate & local     
mat]nal mortality review committees are 
position$ to compreh5sively assess      
mat]nal dea?s & id5tify opportunities = 
prev5tion2 ,:]eas m ?an #be ,/ates are  
p>ticipat+ 9 ! ,alliance = ,innovation  
on ,mat]nal ,heal?1 :i* promotes        
consi/5t & safe mat]nity c>e to r$uce   
mat]nal morbidity & mortality2 ,:]eas   
community-bas$ mat]nal heal? c>e models1
 includ+ midwif]y *ildbir? s]vices1 d\la
 support s]vices1 community & p]9atal   
heal? work] s]vices1 & gr\p pr5atal c>e1
 9 collaboration ) culturally compet5t  
physician c>e1 %[ great promise 9       
improv+ mat]nal heal? outcomes & r$uc+  
disp>ities 9 mat]nal heal? outcomes2    
,:]eas _m organizations h implem5t$     
initiatives to educate pati5ts &        
provid]s ab\t-- 7#a7 all causes (1      
contribut+ factors to1 & disp>ities 9   
mat]nal mortality2  7#b7 ! prev5tion (  
pregnancy-relat$ dea?s2 &  7#c7 !       
importance ( li/5+ to & emp[]+ all wom5 

to report pregnancy-relat$ m$ical       
issues2 &  ,:]eas sev]al ,/ates1        
communities1 & organizations recognize  
,janu>y #bc z ,mat]nal ,heal? ,aw>5ess  
,day to raise aw>5ess ab\t mat]nal heal?
 & promote mat]nal safety3 ,n[1 !re=e1  
be x ,t ! ,s5ate--  7#a7 designates     
,janu>y #bc1 #bjbj1 z ,mat]nal ,heal?   
,aw>5ess ,day2  7#b7 supports ! goals & 
ideals ( ,mat]nal ,heal? ,aw>5ess ,day1 
includ+--  7,a7 rais+ public aw>5ess    
ab\t mat]nal mortality1 mat]nal         
morbidity1 & disp>ities 9 mat]nal heal? 
outcomes2 &  7,b7 enc\rag+ ! ,f$]al     
,gov]nm5t1 ,/ates1 t]ritories1 ,tribes1 
local communities1 public heal?         
organizations1 physicians1 heal? c>e    
provid]s1 & o!rs to take action to r$uce
 adv]se mat]nal heal? outcomes & improve
 mat]nal safety2  7#c7 promotes         
initiatives-- 7,a7 to address & elim9ate
 disp>ities 9 mat]nal heal? outcomes2 & 
7,b7 to ensure respectful & equitable   
mat]nity c>e practices2  7#d7 honors !  
mo!rs :o h pass$ away z a result (      

pregnancy-relat$ causes2 &  7#e7        
supports & recognizes ! ne$ = fur!r     
inve/m5ts 9 ef=ts to improve mat]nal    
heal?1 elim9ate disp>ities 9 mat]nal    
heal? outcomes1 & promote respectful &  
equitable mat]nity c>e practices4