Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth Bill: February 2009

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

A way for your voice to be heard....

First Candle is working hard to get the Stillbirth Awareness & Research Act bill passed in Washington, DC. One section of the bill recommends that states pass the Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth bill.

On March 25th, bereaved parents and other infant health advocates from around the country will be coming together on Capitol Hill to lobby for important legislation related to stillbirth, SIDS and SUID (sudden unexpected infant death.) They want your help in creating a Baby Memorial Album which will leave a lasting reminder to Congress why these bills are important.

To add your child's name and/or picture, visit http://www.firstcandle.org/our-babies.

Submission deadline is March 10th.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Assm Health Committee Vote - Feb 24

*UPDATE -- The bill passed the Assembly Health committee today (2/24) and is now in the Assembly Ways & Means committee. Thank you to Everyone!

The Assembly Health committee will vote on the CBRS bill February 24th. If it passes, we can expect the bill to be sent to the Ways & Means committee.

Email, Fax or call the below Assembly Health Committee members.

Ask them to vote YES for Bill A4375 - The Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth Bill.

Chair
Richard N. Gottfried (co-sponsor)

Members
Jim Bacalles
Jonathan L. Bing
Kevin A. Cahill
James D. Conte
Steven Cymbrowitz
Jeffrey Dinowitz
Patricia A. Eddington
Sandy Galef
Aileen M. Gunther
Andrew Hevesi
Rhoda Jacobs
Charles D. Lavine
William B. Magnarelli
Nettie Mayersohn
David G. McDonough
Joel M. Miller
Amy Paulin
Crystal D. Peoples
Jack Quinn
Andrew P. Raia
Naomi Rivera
Linda B. Rosenthal
Robin Schimminger
Lou Tobacco
Darryl C. Towns

Click on link for their contact info.

We will post the results of the voting on the 25th.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Newsweek Stillbirth Article

There is well written article in Newsweek that has just been published: A Vast and Sudden Sadness. The writer, Claudia Kalb, contacted us a while back and we spoke at great length about the Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth Bill.

Unfortunately, this article focused on the "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep" photography program -- an excellent program which gives parents lasting memories of their child through photographs -- but a lost opportunity to talk about the CBRS.

We are asking everyone to contact Claudia Kalb at Newsweek. (webEditors@newsweek.com)

We'd like you to Thank her for her article on Stillbirth and to ask if she would consider writing one on the Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth bill. There are still 25 states that do not offer this important document to parents. Which, much like the cherished photographs, are another way for parents to honor and remember their child.

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Quick Reference: How Can You Help?

1. Write to Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein.

She was the one assembly member who prevented the bill from being voted on at the end of session in 2009 & 2010.

Write to Weinstein. Tell her to allow the legislative procedure to work as it is suppose to. The CBRS bill deserves to have a vote.

2. Write to Senate Health Chair Thomas Duane. He is in charge of the Senate committee that failed to move this bill in 2009. As a newly appointed Health Chairman (2009), it never made it out of his committee. In 2007 & 2008, the full Senate passed the CBRS bill. Write to Duane. Tell him to move the bill out of his committee.

3. Write to your Senate & Assembly members. Continue to ask your Senate and Assembly members to support the bill. See sample letters below.

4. Ask your family & friends to write letters by forwarding this site:

Many letters, phone calls and emails are needed now to help pass this Bill in the 2010 Legislative session.

Legislators will only know this Bill is important if you let them know it is.

Sample Letter to Senator Thomas Duane

Senator Thomas Duane failed to move the CBRS Bill out of the health committee as Chair, during the 2009 & 2010 Legislative Session. In 2007 & 2008, the full Senate voted and PASSED the bill. His voting record was "NO" and "Excused".

Send an email/letter or call his office ~ ask him to allow the CBRS bill to be voted on in his Health committee.

[SAMPLE LETTER]

Senator Thomas Duane
430 Capital State Building
Albany, NY 12247

Re: Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth Bill [SUPPORT]

Dear Senator Duane,

As a supporter of women, I ask that you support the Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth bill.

The CBRS Bill was redrafted in 2007 by Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, a dedicated supporter of women’s rights. The bill’s language is consistent with current laws and introduces no new language regarding birth and death (NYS public health law already describes a fetal demise as both a birth and a death). It simply gives bereaved parents the option of requesting a CBRS to acknowledge the childbirth they have endured when the unintended fetal demise occurs after 20 weeks’ gestation. The CBRS Bill does not threaten women’s rights in any way; the bill pertains only to stillbirth.

The childbirth endured is not recognized by the state but the death is. NYS requires a Certificate of Fetal Death to be filed and final disposition of a stillborn child’s body while simultaneously refusing to acknowledge the process of childbirth.

There is a lack awareness for this public health crisis and its devasting impact on grieving families. Nearly ten times more babies are stillborn every year than die of SIDS in New York State. Despite this, stillbirth remains where SIDS was 30 years ago – not well understood and lacking research. The CBRS will help increase awareness of this public health crisis and influence allocation of research dollars. Ignore the problem, fail to support the CBRS Bill, and you are contributing to the tragedy of stillbirth.

I urge you to support the CBRS Bill and allow it to come to a vote in the Health committee.

Sincerely,

NAME
Address & Phone

Sample Letter to send to your Representatives

Who is your Senate & Assembly member?

Contact them now. Ask them to support the Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth (CBRS) Bill. Your representatives need to hear from you. They want to hear from you on this issue.

[SAMPLE LETTER]

Name of Representative

Legislative Office Building

Albany, NY 12248

Re: Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth Bill [SUPPORT]

Dear _____:

I am writing to ask for your support of the Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth Bill (Hyer-Spencer). This legislation would allow parents whose children are stillborn the option to receive a Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth to acknowledge the birth process.

Your support of this legislation will send a message of hope and compassion to bereaved parents who suffer the devastation of a stillbirth.

[Include personal story, if you choose to]

Nearly 30,000 babies are stillborn in the US every year, making it the leading cause of infant death. In half of all cases there is no medically discernible reason, causing many to liken it to an intrauterine SIDS. In fact, stillbirth kills more than tens times as many babies as SIDS every year.

Approximately 2,000 babies are stillborn in New York State annually, and for every stillborn a minimum of 10-20 people are affected. Thus, this issue impacts 20,000 - 50,000 individuals every year in New York State.

These certificates will bring much needed attention to this issue and may be instrumental in uncovering stillbirth's mysteries, thereby saving precious lives. You have the opportunity to enact legislation that has the potential to save lives and has zero cost implications.

Your community trust you to represent it. I urge your enthusiastic support of the Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth bill and will be following it closely.

Respectfully,

NAME Address & Phone

Why the CBRS Bill is important

In New York, if you have a stillbirth there is no acknowledgement of the birth process. Fetal death certificates are filed but not issued to the parents unless requested.

This legislation would allow parents whose children are stillborn the option to receive a Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth to acknowledge the birth process.

Nearly 30,000 babies are stillborn in the US every year, making it the leading cause of infant death. In NYS, the number of deaths is reaching 2000. These certificates will bring much needed attention to this public health crisis.

We, Still Parents NY, are working to pass the Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth (CBRS) bill to honor the birth process for our families and the families listed.