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Bill

SB 441

Designate Maternal and Neonatal Sepsis Awareness Week

136th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Paula Hicks-Hudson and 1 co-sponsor

Designates Maternal and Neonatal Sepsis Awareness Week each year starting the second Sunday in May to boost awareness, survivor stories, and remembrance.

Referred to committee
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Bill Summary · SB 441

Summary of SB 441 (Ohio, 136th General Assembly)

Purpose and intent

  • Establishes a formal designation in Ohio to promote awareness of maternal and neonatal sepsis.
  • Specifically designates a recurring awareness week to educate the public about signs and symptoms, share survivor experiences, and honor those affected by maternal and neonatal sepsis.

Key provisions

  • Enacts new section 5.2544 of the Revised Code.
  • The week designated is: the week beginning on the second Sunday in May each year.
  • Name of designation: "Maternal and Neonatal Sepsis Awareness Week."
  • Goals of the week include:
    • Increasing awareness of the signs and symptoms of maternal and neonatal sepsis.
    • Providing a platform to share personal survivor experiences.
    • Remembering lives lost to maternal and neonatal sepsis.

Affected entities

  • State of Ohio: designates a recurring annual awareness observance.
  • General public, healthcare professionals, and sepsis survivors and families: recipients of awareness and educational messaging during the designated week.
  • No new agency creation or funding authorization is specified; the bill focuses on designation and awareness goals rather than program funding or administrative bodies.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Effective date: Not explicitly stated in the introduced text; the designation would apply in years going forward for each second Sunday in May as the start of the awareness week.
  • Action history indicates the bill was introduced on 2026-05-13.
  • Sponsored by Senators Ingram and Hicks-Hudson, with co-sponsors Paula Hicks-Hudson and Catherine Ingram.

Practical impact and considerations

  • Simple, non-funding designation intended to elevate public understanding of maternal and neonatal sepsis.
  • Could lead to state-wide events, educational campaigns, or partnerships during the designated week, depending on future actions by state agencies, healthcare organizations, and advocacy groups.
  • The bill’s impact relies on subsequent initiatives and public engagement during the awareness week each year.

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

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