RI H7263

Proclaims January 23, 2026, as "Maternal Health Awareness Day" in Rhode Island, with the 2026 theme being "Holding Ground on Maternal Health"

More than 80% of maternal deaths in the U.S. are preventable according to the CDC, and Black women have the highest maternal mortality rate of any racial or ethnic group

One-third of Rhode Island births in 2023 were cesarean deliveries, and at least 5% of babies born in the state are prenatally exposed to substances including alcohol, cannabis, nicotine, stimulants, and opioids

Rhode Island maintains a Pregnancy & Post-Partum Death Review Committee and collaborates with organizations including the Perinatal Neonatal Quality Collaborative, Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health, and Rhode Island Prematurity Task Force

Directs the Secretary of State to transmit a certified copy of the resolution to Dr. Dina Himelfarb, President of the Rhode Island Medical Society