HR 5979

110th CONGRESS
2d Session

H. R. 5979

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the national collection of data on stillbirths in a standardized manner, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 6, 2008

Mr. KING of New York introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

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A BILL

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the national collection of data on stillbirths in a standardized manner, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Stillbirth Awareness and Research Act of 2008'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

(a) Findings- The Congress finds the following:

(1) While States issue both a birth and a death certificate when a baby lives for only moments outside the womb, most States issue only a death certificate in the case of a stillbirth.

(2) Almost half of the States have enacted legislation called MISSing Angels bills allowing a State to issue a `Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth', and many other States are considering such legislation.

(b) Sense of Congress- It is the sense of the Congress that more States should enact legislation that allows the issuance of a `Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth' when the pregnancy results in a stillbirth.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL STILLBIRTH REGISTRY.

Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 243 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 317S the following:

`SEC. 317T. NATIONAL STILLBIRTH REGISTRY.

`(a) Establishment- For the purposes described in subsection (b), the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall, by grant or contract, establish and maintain a scientific registry of stillbirths in the United States (in this section referred to as the `registry').

`(b) Purposes- The purposes of the registry are--

`(1) to provide a national repository for reporting and maintaining in a consistent manner data on stillbirths; and

`(2) to make such data available for research on the causes and prevention of stillbirths.

`(c) Content- The registry shall include, with respect to each stillbirth, information on the stillborn fetus and the mother's health and pregnancy as collected and submitted by States on the U.S. Standard Report of Fetal Death. In submitting such information, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shall require States to use the standard definition of stillbirth and the standard protocol for stillbirth data collection and surveillance as determined pursuant to subsection (d).

`(d) Determination of Standard Stillbirth Definition and Protocol-

`(1) IN GENERAL- For purposes of this section, the Secretary shall provide for the development of the following:

`(A) A standard definition of stillbirth.

`(B) A standard protocol for stillbirth data collection and surveillance.

`(2) CONSULTATION- The Secretary shall ensure that the standard definition and protocol described paragraph (1) are developed under such paragraph in a manner that ensures the consultation of representatives of health care organizations, State and local governments, and other interested entities specified by the Secretary.'.

SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON NIH FUNDING FOR STILLBIRTH RESEARCH.

It is the sense of the Congress that the Director of the National Institutes of Health should increase the allocation of funds and other resources for stillbirth research.

SEC. 5. NATIONAL PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN.

(a) In General- The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall carry out a national campaign to increase public awareness and knowledge of stillbirths and public and State awareness of the standard stillbirth definition and standard protocol for stillbirth data collection and surveillance under section 306(h)(3) of the Public Health Service Act, as added by section 3.

(b) Measures To Reduce the Incidence of Stillbirths- Activities under the national campaign under subsection (a) shall include--

(1) the dissemination of information on measures for mothers to maintain a healthy pregnancy and assess fetal health;

(2) the dissemination of information on good prenatal care practices such as not drinking alcohol or smoking; and

(3) the promotion of fetal movement awareness and taking proactive steps to monitor a baby's movement beginning at approximately 28 weeks into the pregnancy.

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