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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Maternal health is a vital concern to any society |
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with an interest in the present and future well-being of women, |
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children, and families, and the observance of Black Maternal Health |
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Week from April 11 through 17 focuses attention to the disparities |
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and inequities in maternal health for Black women; and |
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WHEREAS, Created by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Black |
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Maternal Health Week serves to amplify the voices of Black mothers |
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as well as the values and traditions of the reproductive justice and |
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birth justice movements; and |
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WHEREAS, The United States has the highest rate of maternal |
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mortality among all developed nations, and that rate is continuing |
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to rise, even as the rest of the developed world is seeing fewer |
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deaths from pregnancy-related complications; several factors have |
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been cited as contributing to the heightened risk of death for |
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American women, including inadequate state and federal funding for |
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maternal health as well as inefficient hospital protocols for |
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dealing with maternal emergencies; and |
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WHEREAS, Black mothers in the U.S. have been |
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disproportionately affected by severe maternal morbidity compared |
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with other demographic groups; according to the Centers for Disease |
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Control and Prevention, African American mothers die at three times |
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the rate of White mothers; the fair distribution of reproductive |
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health care services and maternal health programming is critical to |
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closing the racial gap in maternal health outcomes, and a greater |
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investment must be made in Black women's maternity care and in |
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policies that support and promote affordable, comprehensive, |
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holistic, and equitable maternal health care; and |
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WHEREAS, By spreading awareness of this crucial issue, health |
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professionals and other concerned Texans are working to make |
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maternal health for Black women a more urgent priority, to bring an |
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end to preventable maternal mortality, and to ensure a higher |
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standard of care for Black mothers in the Lone Star State; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate April 11 through 17 as Black Maternal Health Week; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section |
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391.004(d), Government Code, this designation remain in effect |
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until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally |
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passed by the legislature. |