Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth Bill: How it Began

Thursday, March 13, 2008

How it Began

My work with the Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth (CBRS) bill started when I was asked to take part in a conference call back on January 29th, 2007 hosted by the MISS Foundation. I listened to valuable information regarding the status of the bill and was asking myself "What can I do?"

I became motivated. I wanted recognition of the birth process I endured for our daughter. So, I sought out parents all over NYS that had suffered the tragedy of a stillbirth and asked for their help. A group of us secured a meeting with Assemblyman Gottfried that March and he agreed to redraft the bill. With his support, we had a new bill and a new Assembly sponsor - Janele Hyer-Spencer.

In June 2007, our bill passed the Senate 59-2 but stalled in the Assembly with the Ways & Means Committee with the end of session.

Now that session has resumed for 2008, I, along with a motivated group of parents in NY, am working diligently for the passage of our bill in the Assembly.

We ask that you contact your Assembly member and use the sample letter to ask for their support. Ask your family, friends, etc to do the same. Your Assembly member wants to hear from you. They won't know the importance of this bill unless you tell them.

Thank you for your support.

1 comment:

Olive Lucy said...: Paige-Thank you for visiting my daughter blog in response to your request i am adding you blog to all 6 of my blogs. We received support letters from our NY State Assemblyman Matthew J.Titone in response to our our letter requesting supprot for the bill. we have yet to hear from the Council women.; March 17, 2008 at 6:30 PM

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.