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HR 1013

TO RECOGNIZE JANUARY 23, 2025, AS MATERNAL HEALTH AWARENESS DAY IN ARKANSAS.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Aaron Pilkington

Declare Arkansas Maternal Health Awareness Day on Jan 23, 2025 to boost awareness and support ongoing prenatal/postpartum efforts; symbolic, with no new law or funding.

READ AND ADOPTED.
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Bill Summary · HR 1013

Summary — HR 1013 (Arkansas House Resolution)

Title: To recognize January 23, 2025, as Maternal Health Awareness Day in Arkansas
Classification: House Resolution (symbolic)

Overview / Purpose

HR 1013 is a state House resolution that recognizes January 23, 2025, as Maternal Health Awareness Day in Arkansas. The resolution’s primary intent is to highlight maternal health challenges in Arkansas, acknowledge recent state leadership and initiatives to improve maternal care, and encourage statewide awareness, community engagement, and continued support for maternal and infant health programs.

Key provisions

  • Officially recognizes Thursday, January 23, 2025, as Maternal Health Awareness Day in Arkansas.
  • Expresses findings and legislative intent, including:
    • Emphasis that improving overall women's health leads to healthier pregnancies and babies.
    • Findings that nearly 10,000 pregnant women in Arkansas delay prenatal care until after the first trimester and over 1,100 wait until labor begins.
    • Recognition of actions by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and members of the Ninety-Fifth General Assembly, including pilot programs in underserved counties, expanded prenatal and postpartum access, the use of evidence-based practices, and maternal health education/outreach.
    • Alignment with the national Maternal Health Awareness Day to amplify state efforts.

Who is affected / Impact

  • Direct legal effect: none. As a House resolution, HR 1013 is symbolic and does not create binding law, appropriate authority, or allocate funding.
  • Practical/communicative impact: raises public awareness, may support advocacy, public health messaging, and coordination among state agencies, healthcare providers, community organizations, and maternal health programs.
  • Intended beneficiaries: pregnant persons, infants, families, and communities in Arkansas through improved attention to maternal health needs.

Procedural history & status

  • Introduced in the Arkansas House by Representative Pilkington (Filed/Introduced: Feb 5, 2025).
  • Referred to House Committee on Financial Services; underwent committee consideration and mark-up.
  • Committee reported (amended) and the resolution was placed on appropriate calendars.
  • Reported enrolled and adopted by the House (dates in May 2025 — placed on calendar, laid before the House, and adopted May 23–24, 2025).
  • Status listed as READ AND ADOPTED.

Notes / Anomalies

  • The document contains an unrelated line naming a different act (“Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions Act of 2025”), which appears to be an editorial or drafting error and is not consistent with the resolution’s subject.
  • A companion bill is listed as S 424. Sponsors and cosponsor lists in the provided record include names that may reflect multiple jurisdictions; the primary Arkansas sponsor is Representative Pilkington.

This resolution is largely ceremonial and intended to promote awareness and encourage continued state and community action on maternal health rather than to create new statutory requirements or funding.

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

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