H.Res. 1292

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

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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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