I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 521 

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 

JANUARY 14, 2009 

Mr. KING of New York (for himself and Mr. GONZALEZ) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stillbirth Awareness 

5 and Research Act of 2009’’. 

6 SEC. 2. NATIONAL STILLBIRTH REGISTRY. 

7 Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act 

8 (42 U.S.C. 243 et seq.) is amended by inserting after sec9 tion 317T the following: 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 317U. NATIONAL STILLBIRTH REGISTRY. 

2 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—For the purposes described 

3 in subsection (b), the Secretary, acting through the Direc4 tor of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 

5 shall, by grant or contract, establish and maintain a sci6 entific registry of stillbirths in the United States (in this 

7 section referred to as the ‘registry’). 

8 ‘‘(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the registry are— 

9 ‘‘(1) to provide a national repository for report10 ing and maintaining in a consistent manner data on 

11 stillbirths; and 

12 ‘‘(2) to make such data available for research 

13 on the causes and prevention of stillbirths. 

14 ‘‘(c) CONTENT.—The registry shall include, with re15 spect to each stillbirth, information on the stillborn fetus 

16 and the mother’s health and pregnancy as collected and 

17 submitted by States on the U.S. Standard Report of Fetal 

18 Death. In submitting such information, the Director of the 

19 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shall require 

20 States to use the standard definition of stillbirth and the 

21 standard protocol for stillbirth data collection and surveil22 lance as determined pursuant to subsection (d). 

23 ‘‘(d) DETERMINATION OF STANDARD STILLBIRTH

24 DEFINITION AND PROTOCOL.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of this sec2 tion, the Secretary shall provide for the development 

3 of the following: 

4 ‘‘(A) A standard definition of stillbirth. 

5 ‘‘(B) A standard protocol for stillbirth data 

6 collection and surveillance. 

7 ‘‘(2) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall en8 sure that the standard definition and protocol de9 scribed paragraph (1) are developed under such 

10 paragraph in a manner that ensures the consultation 

11 of representatives of health care organizations, State 

12 and local governments, and other interested entities 

13 specified by the Secretary.’’. 

14 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON NIH FUNDING FOR STILL15 BIRTH RESEARCH. 

16 It is the sense of the Congress that the Director of 

17 the National Institutes of Health should increase the allo18 cation of funds and other resources for stillbirth research. 

19 SEC. 4. NATIONAL PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 

21 Human Services shall carry out a national campaign to 

22 increase public awareness and knowledge of stillbirths and 

23 public and State awareness of the standard stillbirth defi24 nition and standard protocol for stillbirth data collection 


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1 and surveillance under section 317U of the Public Health 

2 Service Act, as added by section 2. 

3 (b) MEASURES TO REDUCE THE INCIDENCE OF

4 STILLBIRTHS.—Activities under the national campaign 

5 under subsection (a) shall include— 

6 (1) the dissemination of information on meas7 ures for mothers to maintain a healthy pregnancy 

8 and assess fetal health; 

9 (2) the dissemination of information on good 

10 prenatal care practices such as not drinking alcohol 

11 or smoking; and 

12 (3) the promotion of fetal movement awareness 

13 and taking proactive steps to monitor a baby’s move14 ment beginning at approximately 28 weeks into the 

15 pregnancy. 

Æ 


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