FL S1738

Recognizes April 11-17, 2023, as "Black Maternal Health Week" in Florida to raise awareness of the maternal health crisis affecting black women and communities.

Acknowledges that black women in Florida experience maternal mortality rates of 69.9 per 100,000 live births compared to 26.6 for white women, and black women nationally are 2.6 times more likely than white women to die from pregnancy-related causes.

Identifies structural racism, gender oppression, social determinants of health, and lack of mental health access as significant contributors to disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity among black women.

Calls for investments in community-led maternity care, continuous health insurance coverage for black women through at least one year postpartum, and policies supporting affordable, comprehensive maternal health care free from racial and gender discrimination.

Urges policies grounded in human rights, reproductive justice, and birth justice frameworks, with black women as active participants in policy decisions affecting their maternal health care access.