[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 212 (Wednesday, December 8, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H7514-H7515]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STILLBIRTH HEALTH IMPROVEMENT AND EDUCATION FOR AUTUMN ACT OF 2021
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5487) to improve research and data collection on
stillbirths, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5487
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 Health
Improvement and Education for Autumn Act of 2021'' or the
``SHINE for Autumn Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. STILLBIRTH RESEARCH AND DATA COLLECTION IMPROVEMENTS.
Title III of the Public Health Service Act is amended by
inserting after section 317L-1 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 247b-
13a) the following:
``SEC. 317L-2. STILLBIRTH RESEARCH AND DATA COLLECTION
IMPROVEMENTS.
``(a) Stillbirth Surveillance and Risk Factor Studies.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary may award grants to States
for purposes of--
``(A) conducting surveillance and collecting data with
respect to stillbirths;
``(B) building State and local public health capacity to
assess stillbirth data; and
``(C) collecting and reporting data on stillbirth risk
factors, including any quantifiable outcomes with respect to
such risk factors.
``(2) Authorization of appropriations.--To carry out this
subsection, there is authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.
``(b) Guidelines and Educational Awareness Materials.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall--
``(A) issue guidelines to State departments of health and
State and local vital statistics units on--
``(i) collecting data on stillbirth from health care
providers, and with the consent of the family involved,
including any such data with respect to the clinical history,
postmortem examination, and placental pathology;
``(ii) sharing such data with Federal agencies determined
appropriate by the Director of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention; and
``(iii) improving processes and training related to
stillbirth data collection and reporting to ensure
standardization and completeness of data; and
``(B) develop, and make publicly available, educational
awareness materials on stillbirths.
``(2) Consultation.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the
Secretary may consult with--
``(A) national health care professional associations;
``(B) national associations representing State and local
public health officials;
``(C) organizations that assist families with burial
support and bereavement services;
``(D) nurses and nurse practitioners;
``(E) obstetricians and gynecologists;
``(F) pediatricians;
``(G) maternal-fetal medicine specialists;
``(H) midwives;
``(I) mental health professionals;
``(J) statisticians;
``(K) individuals who have experienced a stillbirth; and
``(L) advocacy organizations representing such individuals.
``(3) Authorization of appropriations.--To carry out this
subsection, there is authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.
``(c) Vital Statistics Unit Defined.--In this section, the
term `vital statistics unit' means the entity that is
responsible for maintaining vital records for a State, or a
political subdivision of such State, including official
records of live births, deaths, fetal deaths, marriages,
divorces, and annulments.''.
SEC. 3. PERINATAL PATHOLOGY FELLOWSHIPS.
The Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after
section 1122 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 300c-12) the following:
``SEC. 1123. IMPROVING PERINATAL PATHOLOGY.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish and
implement, or incorporate into an existing training program,
a Perinatal Pathology Fellowship Program or a Postdoctoral
Research Fellowship on Factors Associated with Stillbirth
Program to--
``(1) provide training in perinatal autopsy pathology;
``(2) conduct research on, and improve data collection
through fetal autopsies with respect to, stillbirth; and
``(3) address challenges in stillbirth education, research,
and data collection.
``(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section
$3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.''.
SEC. 4. REPORTS.
(a) Educational Guidelines Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than five years after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human
Services shall publish on a public website of the Department
of Health and Human Services a report with educational
guidelines on stillbirth and stillbirth risk factors.
(2) Contents.--Such report shall include, to the extent
practicable and appropriate, the guidelines issued and
educational awareness materials developed under section 317L-
2 of the Public Health Service Act, as added by section 2 of
this Act.
(b) Progress Report.--Not later than five years after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and
Human Services shall submit to the Congress a comprehensive
report on the progress and effectiveness of the Perinatal
Pathology Fellowship Program established under section 1123
of the Public Health Service Act, as added by section 3 of
this Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
General Leave
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H.R. 5487.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, stillbirth is one of the most devastating losses that
affects more than 24,000 families each year. Stillbirth touches
families of all races, religions, and socioeconomic status.
For many parents, stillbirth is a loss that hits unexpectedly. In
fact, up to half of all stillbirths occur in pregnancies that had
seemed problem-free. However, miscarriages and stillbirths are not
systematically recorded, even in developed countries, suggesting that
the numbers could be even higher.
While there has been some progress in reducing stillbirths, causes
and risk factors have not been explored extensively.
H.R. 5487, the SHINE for Autumn Act of 2021, is an important first
step in promoting positive change around this issue. The legislation is
in honor of Autumn Joy, who was born stillborn on July 8, 2011. For the
last decade, her mother, Debbie Haine, has transformed her loss into
action.
The legislation seeks to bolster research on stillbirths and
stillbirth risk factors to lower our Nation's stillbirth rate. H.R.
5487 would provide resources to State and Federal health departments,
improve data collection around stillbirths, and increase education and
awareness.
Since a stillbirth is such a private, devastating life event, the
data collected is only intended for the purpose
[[Page H7515]]
of informing public health research and improving health outcomes. The
resources provided in the legislation to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and State
health departments to improve data collection and increase education
and awareness is simply the beginning of a longer term solution toward
the prevention and reduction of incidences of stillbirth nationwide.
I want to thank Representatives Herrera Beutler, Roybal-Allard,
Mullin, and Castor for their work on this important legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5487, the SHINE for
Autumn Act of 2021, led by Representatives Herrera Beutler, Roybal-
Allard, Mullin, and Castor.
Each year, about 24,000 babies are stillborn in the United States,
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite
medical innovations, stillbirth rates remain relatively unchanged and
affect women of different ages and backgrounds.
No family should have to go through such an unthinkable tragedy, and
this is, unfortunately, far too common.
H.R. 5487 aims to prevent stillbirth through enhanced research,
surveillance, and reporting. Specifically, the bill directs the
Department of Health and Human Services to better support States in
collecting more complete stillbirth data. It also establishes a
National Institutes of Health fellowship program focused on stillbirth
research and pathology.
This legislation will help provide much-needed outreach and education
on stillbirths, giving healthcare providers additional tools to improve
health outcomes for mothers and babies who deserve a fighting chance at
life.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Castor), who is a member of the Energy and Commerce
Committee and chair of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.
Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Pallone for
yielding me the time.
Mr. Speaker, here in the United States, we continue to grapple with a
maternal and infant health crisis. There are approximately 24,000
stillbirths in the United States each year, and we rank 25th among 49
high-income countries in stillbirth rates.
There are longstanding and persistent racial and ethnic disparities,
with Black women experiencing stillbirths at two times the rate of
White women.
{time} 1530
So we need real change that will help lead to measurable improvements
in health. That is why I was pleased to introduce the Stillbirth Health
Improvement and Education for Autumn, or SHINE for Autumn Act, with my
colleagues, Representatives Herrera Beutler, Roybal-Allard, and Mullin.
Through the bill, we intend to improve the research and data
collection on stillbirths. We want to authorize grants for surveillance
and data collection. We are going to develop guidelines and educational
materials and create a fellowship at NIH to dive deeper into the
research.
The bill is named in honor of Autumn Joy, who was stillborn on July
8, 2011. Her mother, Debbie, turned this tragedy into advocacy. She
spearheaded the effort to increase stillbirth awareness and education
and lower stillbirth rates. And I am proud to help lead the legislation
in Autumn's memory.
I want to thank Debbie for her perseverance on behalf of families
across America. This heartbreaking loss can happen in any family, and
there is so much we still do not know. So this new law, this bill,
SHINE for Autumn Act, will help avoid a lot of the tragedy that Debbie,
unfortunately, found with the death of her daughter, Autumn.
So I ask my colleagues to support the SHINE for Autumn Act.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard), the prime Democratic
sponsor of the bill and the chairwoman of the Appropriations
Subcommittee on Homeland Security.
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5487, the
Stillbirth Health Improvement and Education for Autumn Act, or the
SHINE Act.
For far too long, stillbirth has existed in the shadows of our
maternity care system. Yet, each year, in the United States, about
24,000 babies are stillborn. This is more than 10 times as many deaths
that occur from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, yet SIDS is much more
recognized and researched than stillbirth.
Due to our failure to invest in stillbirth research, the United
States lags behind 181 nations who are more rapidly reducing their
stillbirth rates than us. And similar to most adverse maternal and
infant outcomes, our minority communities are disproportionately
impacted by this heartbreak.
Also, families who experience a stillbirth tragedy are not well-
supported by our healthcare system or their communities. This leaves
families feeling isolated and unprepared to deal with their tragic
loss.
As co-chair of the Congressional Maternity Care Caucus, I am proud to
have worked with my co-chair and author of the bill, Congresswoman
Jaime Herrera Beutler, and my colleagues, Congresswoman Kathy Castor
and Congressman Markwayne Mullin, to introduce the SHINE for Autumn Act
this fall.
And I thank Debbie Haine for sharing her family's story of losing
Autumn, and for her decade-long crusade to shine a Federal spotlight on
this heartbreaking maternal health concern.
The SHINE Act will establish a Perinatal Pathology Fellowship program
at the NIH to increase research on stillbirth. It will provide critical
resources to Federal and State health departments to improve
surveillance and data collection. And it will increase awareness and
understanding of this perinatal tragedy by supporting the development
of educational materials and guidelines for State and local health
departments.
The SHINE Act also directs the Surgeon General to produce a report on
stillbirth risk factors and requires the Secretary of HHS to report on
the progress and effectiveness of the NIH training programs.
Today, this House has the opportunity to bring stillbirth out of the
shadows and to invest in the education and research that will save
babies lives.
I am proud to vote ``yes'' on the SHINE for Autumn Act, and I urge my
colleagues to support this critical legislation.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close.
This is an important bill. I can't imagine what Autumn's mother has
gone through; what so many families have gone through with the
stillbirth of their child. I encourage all my colleagues to vote for
this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this critical
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5487, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
are postponed.
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