,,iii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #gah  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #be1
 #bjbb,mr4 ,ossoff submitted the        
following resolution2 which was referred
 to the ,committee on the ,judiciary    
,,resolution  ,designating the week of  
,july #ai through ,july #be1 #bjbb1 as  
,black ,maternal ,mental ,health        
,awareness ,week and supporting the goal
 of raising awareness and understanding 
around maternal mental health conditions
 as they affect ,black individuals4     
,whereas #a in #h women and #a in #f    
,black women will suffer from a maternal
 mental health condition at some point  
during their lifetimes2 ,whereas        
maternal mental health and substance use
 disorder conditions initially present  
during pregnancy or the year following  
childbirth1 stillbirth1 or miscarriage1 
and include depression1 anxiety1        
obsessive compulsive disorder1          
psychosis1 and other conditions2        
,whereas suicide and overdose caused by 

a maternal mental health or substance   
use disorder condition contribute to the
 rising maternal mortality rate2        
,whereas non-,hispanic ,black           
individuals are #c times more likely to 
have a maternal death than ,white       
individuals in the ,united ,states2     
,whereas untreated maternal mental      
health conditions cost the ,united      
,states economy #ad1bjj1jjj1jjj each    
year due to productivity loss1 preterm  
births1 child behavioral and            
developmental costs1 and other          
health-related costs2 ,whereas maternal 
mental health conditions impair         
mother-infant interactions causing      
negative behavioral1 cognitive1 and     
emotional impacts on the infant2        
,whereas untreated maternal depression  
during pregnancy leads to a higher risk 
of preterm and low birth weight delivery
 and infant mortality2 ,whereas many    
health professionals receive limited or 
no formal training on providing         
culturally appropriate maternity care in

 diverse communities2 ,whereas #ej      
percent of individuals with a maternal  
mental health condition never receive   
treatment1 and ,black women are less    
likely than ,white women to access or   
continue treatment1 or refill a         
prescription for a maternal mental      
health condition2 ,whereas best         
practices for the prevention and        
treatment of maternal mental health     
conditions include collaborative and    
culturally and linguistically           
appropriate models of group prenatal or 
postpartum care2 ,whereas addressing    
maternal mental health conditions is    
integral in reaching the ,healthy       
,people #bjcj goals of the ,department  
of ,health and ,human ,services of a #aj
 percent reduction of the maternal      
mortality rate1 maternal illnesses and  
complications due to pregnancy1 and the 
preterm live birth rate2 and ,whereas   
more research on ,black maternal mental 
health outcomes and care1 existing      
,state and other programs1 and          

innovative maternity care models        
designed to reduce racial and ethnic    
disparities in maternal health outcomes 
is needed to inform evidence-based      
treatments1 promote prevention and      
recovery support efforts1 facilitate    
early identification1 dispel stigmas and
 barriers to care1 and provide insight  
on illness causation and the effects of 
maternal mental health conditions on    
infants and communities3 ,now1          
therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate--    
7#a7 designates the week of ,july #ai   
through ,july #be1 #bjbb1 as ,black     
,maternal ,mental ,health ,awareness    
,week2  7#b7 supports the goals and     
ideals of ,black ,maternal ,mental      
,health ,awareness ,week to raise public
 awareness and understanding around     
maternal mental health conditions and   
their disproportionate impact on ,black 
women and families2  7#c7 recognizes the
 need for culturally and linguistically 
appropriate prevention1 intervention1   
treatment1 and recovery support services

 for individuals affected by maternal   
mental health conditions2  7#d7         
acknowledges the need for further       
research on maternal mental health      
treatment models that are effective in  
reducing racial and ethnic disparities  
in health outcomes2 and  7#e7 encourages
 ,federal1 ,state1 and local governments
 and citizens of the ,united ,states--  
7,a7 to support ,black ,maternal ,mental
 ,health ,awareness ,week through       
programs and activities2 and  7,b7 to   
promote public awareness of maternal    
mental health conditions as those       
conditions affect ,black individuals4