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Bill

SJR 163

Designates April 11 of each year as "Black Doula Day."

2024-2025 Regular Session Introduced by Angela McKnight

Designates April 11 as Black Doula Day in New Jersey and urges governor to issue an annual proclamation, raising awareness of doula benefits and Black maternal health disparities.

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee
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Bill Summary · SJR 163

Summary of SJR 163 (Designates April 11 as "Black Doula Day")

Overview

SJR 163 is a joint resolution introduced in the New Jersey Senate on May 19, 2025, and referred to the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. The bill designates April 11 of each year as “Black Doula Day” in New Jersey and requests the Governor to issue an annual proclamation recognizing the day. The resolution takes effect immediately.

Key Provisions

  • Designation: April 11 of each year is proclaimed in New Jersey as “Black Doula Day.”
  • Governor’s Proclamation: The Governor is respectfully requested to annually issue a proclamation recognizing Black Doula Day.
  • Effective Date: The resolution takes effect immediately.
  • Status: Introduced in the Senate and referred to the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee.

Purpose and Intent

  • To honor and spotlight the role of Black doulas and align New Jersey with Global Black Doula Day, observed since 2024.
  • To raise awareness of the benefits of doula care for maternal and infant health and to highlight disparities in maternal health outcomes, particularly affecting Black mothers and babies in New Jersey.

Background and Context (as provided in the bill)

  • Doulas provide continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to mothers before, during, and after labor.
  • There are thousands of certified doulas nationwide and internationally.
  • Research cited in the resolution indicates that doula care can reduce cesarean sections, prevent low birth weight and preterm labor, decrease epidural use, and improve overall birth outcomes.
  • New Jersey policies require hospitals and birthing centers to allow doulas to accompany patients.
  • New Jersey was an early adopter of Medicaid coverage for doula care (the third state to cover it) and is noted as the first to require community-trained doulas for Medicaid reimbursement.
  • The bill emphasizes health disparities: New Jersey’s maternal mortality rate is 25th in the U.S. (26.0 deaths per 100,000 live births), above the national average (23.2). It notes Black mothers in New Jersey are disproportionately affected (more than seven times higher risk of maternity-related mortality than white mothers), and Black babies are more than three times as likely as white babies to die before age one.
  • Global Black Doula Day is observed on April 11, reinforcing the alignment of the NJ designation.

Effects and Impact

  • The designation is largely ceremonial and commemorative, with no new funding or program requirements articulated in the bill.
  • By designating a day and encouraging an annual proclamation, the bill aims to promote awareness of doula services and maternal health equity issues, potentially informing ongoing discussions about access to doula care and related health outcomes.

Related Legislative Actions

  • Companion Bill: AJR 226.
  • Relation: Joint resolution format (no substantive policy change beyond designation and advocacy).

Practical Considerations

  • No annual fiscal impact is specified in the introduced text.
  • The annual proclamation by the Governor could serve as a platform for public health messaging and advocacy related to doula services and maternal health disparities.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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