Designating March 14, in 2026 and in each succeeding year, as Black Midwives Day in Virginia.
Senate Joint Resolution 56 designates March 14, beginning in 2026 and continuing ყოველ year thereafter, as Black Midwives Day in Virginia. The resolution is commemorative rather than regulatory: it recognizes the historical and ongoing contributions of Black midwives to maternal and infant health, and it highlights the role of midwifery in improving birth outcomes, reducing interventions, and addressing racial disparities in maternal care.
The resolution also frames Black Midwives Day as an opportunity for awareness, education, advocacy, and community engagement. Its findings emphasize the crisis in Black maternal health, the existence of maternity care deserts in parts of Virginia, and the need to expand access to midwifery education, training, and practice. It further notes that Black midwives have historically been excluded from health care systems and that restoring and supporting their work can improve access to culturally congruent, community-centered care.
SJ56 does not amend the Code of Virginia or create new legal duties, penalties, or funding requirements. Its practical effect is to establish an annual observance and direct the Clerk of the Senate to transmit the resolution to the Virginia Department of Health and post the designation on the General Assembly website. The resolution may influence public awareness and policy discussions around maternal health, midwifery workforce development, and access to maternity care, but it does not itself change licensing, scope-of-practice, or reimbursement laws.
The overall sentiment reflected in the resolution is strongly supportive and celebratory. The bill passed both chambers and the text uses affirmative findings to praise Black midwives, underscore their importance to maternal health, and call attention to systemic inequities affecting Black birthing people. Because there were no recorded committee transcripts or vote details beyond passage, the available record suggests little visible opposition and a broad consensus around the symbolic recognition.
No specific points of contention are documented in the available materials. The resolution does, however, touch on issues that can be politically and professionally sensitive, including restrictive midwifery regulations, full scope-of-practice authority, certification pathways, and the need for expanded funding and workforce support. Those themes suggest that while the resolution itself is noncontroversial as a commemorative measure, it gestures toward broader debates over maternal health policy, regulation of midwives, and racial disparities in health care access.