The Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, & Asian Legislative Caucus Hosts Press Conference for Advancing Maternal Health Equity in New York
Legislators and members of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus held a press conference to discuss the urgent need for the passage of two maternal health bills.
A860A (Rosenthal)/S845A (Salazar): The Maternal Health, Dignity, and Consent Act
A4018A (Forrest)/S6983A (Brisport): New York Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act
These pieces of legislation are crucial in meeting the basic needs of mothers and families and addressing the maternal morbidity and mortality gap between Black and White women in New York State.
“New York is facing a maternal health crisis, and Black women continue to experience disproportionately poor outcomes during pregnancy and childbirth,” said Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, Chair of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus. “The Maternal Health, Dignity, and Consent Act and the New York Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act are about restoring trust, transparency, and humanity to maternal healthcare. Birthing people deserve to be informed, respected, and supported throughout every stage of pregnancy and childbirth.”
“We cannot say that we are progressive leaders while mothers of color are dying at disproportionate rates,” said Assemblywoman Phara Forrest. “Maternal mortality is preventable and what is missing right now is action. That is why I introduced the Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act because this bill would require hospitals and other birthing facilities to inform expectant mothers their rights and how to file complaints if those rights are violated… we only have a few days at the end of this session to do the right thing and ensure that every mother, regardless of racial and ethnic background, receives the high quality care they deserve.”
“The bottom line is that black mothers face disproportionately higher rates of CPS reporting and lower rates of child reunifications for perinatal substance use disorders,” said Senator Julia Salazar. “This fuels a racist cycle that perpetuates further trauma and does not lead to better health outcomes. In fact, it breaks down trust between providers and patients. It also makes it less likely for black and brown moms and patients to seek the care they need. What we really need is to ensure consent is obtained from the patient if they are going to be drug tested by their provider. It is that simple.”
“Implicit bias training is something that all legislators have to take part in. As a social worker, I have seen many times that all it takes is for people to understand that they have biases in order for us to begin the process of changing those biases. When it comes to Maternal Health, we are talking about life or death and how someone’s biases who keeps someone alive or lets someone die… We absolutely need to make sure that we are taking care of moms, making sure that our babies get to see their first day of life. ” said Assemblywoman Chantel Jackson.
“Pregnancy and childbirth in our state are not only experiences shaped by dignity, safety and trust, but by fear, discrimination, and unequal treatment,” said Assemblywoman Yudelka Tapia. “We support these bills because every pregnant person deserves informed consent and respectful care. No one should walk into a hospital seeking medical help and fear they might be secretly drug tested, investigated by CPS, or even separated from their newborn simply because they sought care… New York has a responsibility to lead on maternal health equity. We have to get these bills signed into law.”
“When we center dignity and compassion in our healthcare system, we create better outcomes for parents, newborns, and families. Involuntary drug testing of pregnant people violates bodily autonomy and disproportionately harms pregnant women of color,” said Senator Lea Webb. “I stand with my colleagues today in support of unbiased, quality healthcare for all our residents.”