The City Council passed a package of bills Thursday intended to address racial disparities in maternal health in the city.

The legislation includes requiring the city to better track maternal mortality and morbidity, provide increased resources and education, and create a program that would train doulas and provide their services in marginalized communities for free.

“About 30 birthing people in New York City die each year of a pregnancy-related cause,” the Council said in a release, noting people of color comprise a majority of deaths and morbidity, or cases where people “almost die.”

An April 2021 study from the city’s health department reported of the 21 pregnancy-related deaths in 2017, all but two were people of color.

Beyond that, the Council estimated 3,000 women experience morbidity during childbirth with people of color again making up the vast majority of cases. The same 2021 study counted 3,066 “severe maternal morbidity” incidents and concluded 77% were suffered by people of color, despite making up less than 60% of the population.

“Even prior to the pandemic, Black women and birthing people have faced a maternal health, mortality, and morbidity crisis,” City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said in a statement, noting the legislation was passed by a majority-female Council. “The lived experiences that far too many people have endured are striking, and the disparities for Black, Latino, and indigenous people are horrifying.”

Many of the bills focus on educating New Yorkers on their rights, conditions that impact pregnant and birthing people, the role doulas and midwives can play in a pregnancy, maternal mortality and morbidity, and how c-sections work.

Other legislation would mandate the city do more research on maternal health issues and racial disparities, as well as better publicize the data.

And a bill sponsored by Brooklyn and Queens Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez would require the Department of Hygiene and Mental Health to “establish a program to train doulas and provide doula services to residents of marginalized neighborhoods in all five boroughs to no cost to the resident.”

“The empowerment that doulas offer in the birthing process has meaningful effects on people’s pregnancy outcomes but reaches far beyond, strengthening their voices and aiding them to advocate for better conditions in their communities,” Gutiérrez said in a statement. “As a new mother, I’m deeply proud that this is the first bill of mine to become law and to be creating a pipeline of new, and meaningful jobs for New Yorkers across the city.”

On Thursday, Gutiérrez’s colleague, Bronx Council Member Pierina Sanchez, missed the vote for the bills.

“After an action packed summer with votes, interviews, block parties and even our baby shower, Bebé decided to make their debut!” Sanchez tweeted, with voting, still underway. “Mami and Bebé are healthy, and Papi and I now understand when new parents say they are so in love with their bebes.”

Then, she thanked her doula.