Washington, D.C. — On June 12th, the bicameral and bipartisan Stillbirth Health Improvement and Education (SHINE) for Autumn Act, H.R. 5012/S. 2647, passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously (45-0) and currently awaits a vote on the House floor. The SHINE Act must pass before the 118th Congress ends on January 2, 2025. With only 8 weeks left in 2024 when representatives will be working in D.C., your voice can make the difference. Here's how you can help:
- Make 3 Simple Phone Calls: Call your 1 House Representative and 2 Senators. Get the call scripts here: General 1 — SHINE FOR AUTUMN ACT
- Engage Directly: Visit your representatives' and senators' websites to find out when their next events are in your area, and speak to them about SHINE. Share your WHY, explain how critical SHINE is for addressing the unacceptable U.S. stillbirth rates, and ask for their help.
- Spread the Word: Share this call to action with your networks.
The SHINE Act is the first bill in U.S. history to provide a fully comprehensive strategy to tackle stillbirth, a tragedy that claims the lives of over 21,000 babies every year. Notably, at least 1 in 4 stillbirths are preventable, often occurring in seemingly healthy, low-risk pregnancies. The U.S. currently ranks 160 out of 195 countries in progress made to reduce stillbirth rates from 2000-2021. The SHINE for Autumn Act focuses on improved data collection, education, awareness, and research to prevent future stillbirths and save more babies' lives.
What Will SHINE Do?
- Improve Stillbirth Education and Awareness
- Knowledge is power and can translate to prevention. Families should not first learn about stillbirth when it happens to them.
- Increase Access to Fetal Autopsy
- Fetal autopsies require the expertise of perinatal pathologists, who are in very short supply in the U.S. SHINE would authorize funds for a perinatal pathology fellowship to attract new physicians to this vital specialty.
- Enhance the Quality of Stillbirth Data
- We must have access to timely and accurate stillbirth data.
The SHINE for Autumn Act aims to bridge gaps in stillbirth data, research, and education with:
- Grants to states to support data collection, assessment, and reporting on stillbirth and stillbirth risk factors.
- The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in coordination with healthcare providers, to develop guidelines and educational materials for state departments of health and statistics on stillbirth data collection, data sharing, and educational materials on stillbirth.
- The incorporation of a Perinatal Pathology Fellowship Program at the NIH to fund research fellowships on stillbirth, including research and training on fetal autopsies and improved education, research, and data collection.
The SHINE for Autumn Act is supported by over 300 organizations and academic institutions, including Central Jersey Family Health Consortium. To learn more about the bill, visit www.shineforautumnact.org.
