Birth Equity Bill Package
/We did it!! Our Birth Equity Bills passed!!
To protect human rights and address discrimination, mistreatment, harm, poor outcomes, and inequities in outcomes during the perinatal period -- Colorado passed three bills in the 2021 session.
1) Protection of Pregnant People in the Perinatal Period, SB 193 established basic human rights standards in perinatal care for all people, including those who are incarcerated.
2) Maternal Health Providers, SB 194 aligned perinatal care data and systems for equity.
3) Sunset Direct Entry Midwives, SB 101 continued the Direct-Entry Midwifery program.
Here is the summary of the final version of the bills as signed into law on July 6, 2021.
Here are the bills on the Colorado Legislature’s website: SB21-193 and SB21-194.
Experienced mistreatment in the perinatal period? Fill out this form, one of the new requirements of SB 193.
Here is a 45 minute video of a panel including with Representative Leslie Herod, Indra Lusero, Kayla Frawley, Demetra Seriki and Briana Simmons talking about the process (and made by Promise Venture Studios). And here is a shorter version of the video (12 minutes).
These bills are a part of our birth equity policy platform, which also includes the Direct-Entry Midwifery Sunset bill (we are keeping this page updated with info on the DEM bill). This is a community-based effort. Learn more about what that means in our “What is Community-Based” fact sheet, below.
ENDORSE the Birth Equity Bill Package as an individual or organization here, YOU can identify if you want to advocate, testify, share our social media tool kit once the bill is introduced on this form here. Our collection of logos from endorsing organizations is below.
ENGAGE NOW: you can write your law makers and committee members to vote yes on the bill! Using this template.
Fact Sheets:
Protección del periodo perinatal los derechos humanos son un resultado de la salud
Birth Equity Bills Content By Section
Birth Equity Bills Standards for Incarcerating Pregnant People
Answers to questions that came up in the Senate Hearing for SB21-194 on 4/14/2021
The Momnibus and Colorado’s Birth Equity Bill Package Side by Side
El Momnibus federal y la equidad de los nacimientos en Colorado
¿Qué significa “basado en la comunidad”?
Colorado as a part of National Efforts
This Colorado bill is part of a national effort to address inequity in maternal health through legislation like the Momnibus. And also aligns with this February 2021 publication, Diverse Colorado Voices: Community-Based Solutions for the Perinatal Period by Kayla Frawley, Holley Murphy, Lynn Vanderwielen. Sponsored by Clayton Early Learning, Families Forward Resource Center, and Raise Colorado, Caring for Colorado, Colorado Children’s Campaign, and Zero To Three.
Media about the Colorado Birth Equity Bill Package:
Colorado passes sweeping birth equity reform protecting the rights of pregnant people, Ms. Mayhem, August 27, 2021.
To end America's maternal mortality crisis, dismantle the racism that fuels it, CNN, July 14, 2021.
Elephants partly inspired these new Colorado laws, which aim to improve health care for pregnant people, Colorado Newsline, July 7, 2021.
Colorado Passes Landmark Birth Equity Bill Package, Harvard Law Bill of Health, June 22, 2021
Op-Ed: Meet the Leaders Behind Colorado’s Birth Equity Bill Package, Westword, June 12, 2021
Abortion Opponents Are Trying to Kill a Bill to Improve Maternal Health Care, Colorado Times Recorder, May 26, 2021
Colorado bill aims to protect incarcerated pregnant women’s rights, Denver Post, May 18, 2021
Colorado’s birth equity package aims to improve maternal mortality rates, Ms. Mayhem, May 7, 2021
Colorado bill aims to improve maternal health care, Associated Press, April 19th, 2021
Sen. Buckner: It’s time to pass legislation to improve maternal health outcomes in Colorado, April 18th, 2021
Colorado Birth Equity Bills Could Bring Better Maternity Care, Kayla Frawley, Westword, April 18th, 2021
Colorado bill aims to improve maternal health care, Associated Press & Durango Herald, April 14, 2021
New Bill Aims to Address Racial Inequities in Maternal and Infant Outcomes, Jordan Smith, Illuminate Blog, April 14th, 2021
Pregnant people of color face inequities, Dr. Jamila Perritt, Colorado Politics, April 12th, 2021
Approve Birth Equity Bills, Aubre Tompkins, CNM, Denver Post, April 11th, 2021
Outsources – Birth Justice with Indra Lusero: Learning histories and visioning for the future, Indra Lusero, March 29th, 2021
Why Colorado Needs to Pass the Birth Equity Bill Package, Kayla Frawley, Colorado Newsline, March 8th, 2021
Rep. Leslie Herod: Colorado to see maternal health legislation during the 2021 session, Colorado Sun, February 11th, 2021
Colorado Needs a Human Rights Approach to Maternity Care, Kayla Frawley in Colorado Newsline, February 11th, 2021
Other timely, related media:
Leading maternal health experts advocate for Medicaid extension to 12 months postpartum in Scientific American here.
The U.S. Maternity Care Consent Problem, Ms. Magazine, February 2021
Op-Ed about the death of Elijah McClain by Bill Sponsor Senator Janet Buckner and Senator Rhonda Fields, March 2021
9News feature of Colorado midwife Demetra Seriki, and this profile of her by the Colorado Trust
New York Times, March 11, 2021, Why Black Women Are Rejecting Hospitals in Search of Better Births
Slate, March 9, 2021, I’m an Obstetrician. Stop Stigmatizing Home Births.
Elephant Circle articulated some of the elements of the Birth Equity Bill along with other maternity care experts in a response to CMS Office of Minority Health request for information about improving rural maternal and infant health care here.
Why Is It So Risky to be a Black Mother, Colorado Trust
Related Events:
A recording can be found here of the first hearing for 194 on Wednesday, April 14th at 1:30pm Mountain (in the Senate Health Committee). SB 194 starts at 1:35:40
A recording can be found here for the first hearing for 193 on Thursday, April 22nd at 1:30pm Mountain (in the Senate Judiciary Committee). SB 193 starts at 2:11:30.
BIRTH Equity Lobby Day! Meet with your legislators and hear about how a bill becomes a law. March 31st, Register here.
Community Meeting February 27, 2021, recording and pdf of slides about the bills in detail, and pdf of slides about the criminal justice sections.
Check out our events page for more.
