To acknowledge the Black Women Best framework to empower and improve life for all through guaranteed income, expanding child and income tax credit, increasing access to equitable health care and government assistance, prohibiting policing in schools, and prioritizing restorative justice.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1292 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1292

 To acknowledge the Black Women Best framework to empower and improve 
life for all through guaranteed income, expanding child and income tax 
   credit, increasing access to equitable health care and government 
     assistance, prohibiting policing in schools, and prioritizing 
                          restorative justice.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 14, 2026

Mrs. Watson Coleman (for herself, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Ms. Clarke of 
   New York, Ms. Norton, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Wilson of Florida, and Mr. 
   Johnson of Georgia) submitted the following resolution; which was 
      referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 To acknowledge the Black Women Best framework to empower and improve 
life for all through guaranteed income, expanding child and income tax 
   credit, increasing access to equitable health care and government 
     assistance, prohibiting policing in schools, and prioritizing 
                          restorative justice.

Whereas, throughout United States history, the country's economy was built in 
        large part upon Black women's diminished power, through unpaid, 
        exploited, and forced labor;
Whereas discriminatory features of the United States labor market and the 
        punitive design of public benefits programs hinder the economic mobility 
        of Black women with disabilities;
Whereas income gaps, wealth gaps, lack of adequate worker protection laws, and a 
        host of other socioeconomic indicators illustrate a system that has been 
        designed to keep Black women without power;
Whereas Black women made up 6.4 percent of the United States workforce in 2025, 
        with a median annual salary of $40,000 a year, compared to non-Hispanic 
        men at $63,210 a year, a difference of $23,210;
Whereas, between February and June of 2025, Black women's workforce 
        participation dropped by 1.8 percent from 2024;
Whereas, between February and July of 2025, Black women lost over 300,000 jobs 
        in the United States labor market;
Whereas Black women made between 63 and 66 cents for every dollar made by a 
        White, non-Hispanic man in 2025;
Whereas economic insecurity is intensified for Black women, who have little to 
        no wealth to fall back on due to generational inequality and ongoing 
        discrimination;
Whereas guaranteed income, direct cash transfers, hazard pay, an increase in 
        worker power, sectoral worker bargaining, and stronger labor law 
        protection can benefit the economic well-being of marginalized 
        demographics, specifically Black women;
Whereas expanding the child tax credit and earned income tax credit, 
        incentivizing State tax changes, and strengthening the estate tax can 
        assist in centering Black women in tax reform;
Whereas studies show that Black women, whether insured or uninsured, receive 
        worse care by health care professionals, often at the expense of their 
        lives;
Whereas, in 2024, over 4,000,000 Black women relied on Medicaid as their primary 
        source of health coverage;
Whereas Black women not only need access to health care providers that value 
        their identity, but also providers who look like them to improve Black 
        women's access to quality care;
Whereas Black women do not breastfeed at the same rates as their non-Black 
        counterparts and are disproportionately affected by first food deserts 
        and maternity care deserts;
Whereas single woman-led households have the highest rates of food insecurity, 
        and this disproportionately affects Black women;
Whereas Black women are less likely to have wealth, to own a home, to hold 
        retirement savings, and to receive inheritances and other family 
        financial support;
Whereas Black women have been stigmatized in the United States welfare state, 
        which affects their equitable access to government assistance programs;
Whereas Black women have been denied access to safe and affordable housing 
        through the current rental housing market and Federal housing assistance 
        programs;
Whereas racist and sexist Federal policies have denied Black women access to 
        safe and affordable housing in both home ownership and rental markets, 
        rendering them more likely to be cost burdened and face eviction;
Whereas policymakers must provide robust, permanent, dedicated funding for home 
        and community-based services to protect the rights of Black women with 
        disabilities to receive care within their homes and communities;
Whereas about 5 percent of Black women overall report serious psychological 
        distress, and this rate nearly doubles for Black people living in 
        poverty;
Whereas the school-to-prison pipeline for Black girls must be eliminated, and 
        restorative justice in lieu of policing in schools and communities to 
        promote equitable academic success must be prioritized;
Whereas critical legislation, such as the Protect Black Women and Girls Act, 
        establishes a task force to examine the conditions and experiences of 
        Black women and girls to identify and assess the efficacy of policies 
        and programs designed to improve outcomes for Black women; and
Whereas the Black Women Best (BWB) framework, as designed by Janelle Jones, the 
        first African-American woman to serve as chief economist at the 
        Department of Labor, offers the blueprint to adopt a more innovative and 
        equitable approach to center the lived experiences of Black women in 
        policymaking: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) acknowledges the BWB framework to empower and improve 
        life for all through guaranteed income, expanding child and 
        income tax credit, increasing access to equitable health care 
        and government assistance, prohibiting policing in schools, and 
        prioritizing restorative justice;
            (2) supports the need to use policy frameworks similar to 
        the BWB framework to center the lived experience of Black women 
        in the policymaking process in order to ensure a more equal and 
        just future for all;
            (3) encourages the use of this framework and those that 
        complement it as a guideline to create and implement better 
        public policies to benefit all people, and specifically Black 
        women; and
            (4) considers legislative proposals presented in the 
        Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls March 2023 
        report, ``An Economy for All: Building a `Black Women Best' 
        Legislative Agenda'' to repair the historical disparities that 
        Black women endure and to secure an economy that works for 
        everyone.
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