Biden Signs Stillbirth Prevention Act into Law

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A signature bipartisan bill co-led by Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (D-NC-12) and Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02) to address stillbirth in pregnancies was signed by President Biden today and is now law, after passing through Congress this spring with overwhelming bipartisan support.

The Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act clarifies that current funding through the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Block Grant may be used for stillbirth prevention activities. The rate of stillbirth is high in the United States and even higher for Black women. Hundreds of advocates came to the Hill for National Stillbirth Prevention Day on September 19th last year to promote passage of this bill. U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) are the Senate co-leads.

"Over 21,000 babies are stillborn every year, and it's time for this silent crisis to come to an end," said Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D., co-founder and co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus. "We owe it to our mothers to reduce or remove the unnecessary risks that have made pregnancy unsafe. Thanks to the Stillbirth Prevention Act, we will address this injustice so more mothers and babies experience a healthy birth and make it home with their families. I am thankful to my colleagues in Congress, President Biden, and all the advocates for helping us make this legislation the law of the land."

"Today is a huge milestone in our fight to end stillbirth, the unexpected loss of a baby after more than 20 weeks of pregnancy," said Congresswoman Ashley Hinson. "I am proud to have worked with so many incredible advocates, many of whom have endured the heartbreak of stillbirth, to bring this vital legislation across the finish line and expand federal resources for stillbirth prevention. I thank President Biden for signing this bipartisan legislation into law, and I will continue my work to improve maternal health care access for more healthy moms and healthy babies."

"This is a moonshot moment," said Iowa Sen. Janet Petersen, co-founder of Healthy Birth Day, Inc. "Every expectant parent in the U.S. deserves their prenatal care to include evidence-based stillbirth prevention strategies. This bill will help make that possible."

"We are grateful to U.S. Representative Alma Adams (D-NC) for her leadership in championing the bipartisan Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act supporting evidence-based programs including tracking fetal movement and funding for community-based programs to prevent stillbirth," said Tina Sherman, National Director of MomsRising. "Stillbirth remains one of our most underfunded and understudied public health issues and the Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act is a critical step in stillbirth prevention and protecting the health of pregnant women and infants."

"The passage of Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act brings us another step closer to helping all moms and babies have a healthy start," said Stacey Y. Brayboy, March of Dimes Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs. "We are thankful for Rep. Alma Adams' leadership alongside Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), and Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and advocates in helping to advance this legislation to the President's desk for signature. We look forward to our continued partnership in improving maternal and infant health outcomes through policy solutions."

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Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. represents North Carolina's 12th Congressional District (Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, Cabarrus County) and serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Education & the Workforce, where she serves as ranking member of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee.