SHINE for Autumn Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 5469
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-09-18: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-08T08:06:34Z
AI-Generated Summary
Summary of H.R. 5469: Stillbirth Health Improvement and Education for Autumn Act of 2025 (SHINE for Autumn Act of 2025)
Purpose
This bill aims to enhance research, data collection, and public awareness related to stillbirths—defined as the death of a fetus after 20 weeks of pregnancy but before birth. It seeks to improve surveillance of stillbirth risks, standardize data reporting, and provide educational resources to prevent future occurrences and support affected families.
Key Provisions
- Grants for Stillbirth Surveillance and Data Collection (Section 2(a)):
- The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) may award grants to states to:
- Conduct surveillance and gather data on stillbirths, using sources like state fetal and infant mortality reviews.
- Build public health capacity at state and local levels to analyze stillbirth data.
- Report on stillbirth risk factors and related outcomes.
- Data must be deidentified (removing personal details to protect privacy) and comply with federal and state privacy laws, ensuring no disclosure of patient or provider information.
- Authorizes $5 million annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
- Guidelines and Educational Materials (Section 2(b)):
- HHS must issue guidelines to state health departments and vital statistics units (entities responsible for maintaining official records of births, deaths, and fetal deaths) on:
- Collecting stillbirth data from healthcare providers, including clinical history, postmortem exams, and placental analysis, with the consent of the affected woman.
- Improving training and processes for standardized, complete data reporting.
- HHS must develop and publicly share educational materials on stillbirth awareness.
- Guidelines and materials are developed in consultation with a wide range of experts, including healthcare professionals (e.g., obstetricians, nurses, mental health specialists), public health officials, statisticians, bereavement support organizations, and individuals or advocacy groups representing those who have experienced stillbirths.
- Authorizes $1 million annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
- Educational Guidelines Report (Section 3):
- Within five years of enactment, HHS must publish a public report on its website containing educational guidelines on stillbirths and risk factors, incorporating the guidelines and materials from Section 2.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Amends Title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247b et seq.) by adding a new section (317L-2) focused specifically on stillbirth research and data improvements.
- Introduces dedicated federal funding and standardized protocols for stillbirth data collection, which were not previously outlined in this level of detail for stillbirths alone. This builds on existing public health surveillance frameworks but creates targeted stillbirth-specific programs, emphasizing privacy protections and multi-stakeholder input.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: HHS will oversee grant distribution, guideline development, and reporting, increasing administrative responsibilities. State and local health departments and vital statistics units will gain resources for data infrastructure but must adopt new collection standards, potentially improving overall maternal and fetal health tracking.
- Citizens: Families affected by stillbirths may benefit from better risk factor identification, leading to potential prevention strategies and increased access to awareness and support resources. Broader public health improvements could reduce stillbirth rates over time, though direct individual benefits depend on state implementation.
- International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill focuses on domestic public health initiatives.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- State and Local Governments: Health departments and vital statistics units, which receive grants and must implement new data processes.
- Healthcare Providers: Obstetricians, nurses, midwives, and others involved in prenatal care, who will follow guidelines for data reporting and may contribute to risk factor studies.
- Affected Families and Advocacy Groups: Individuals who have experienced stillbirths and organizations supporting bereavement and prevention, who provide input and benefit from educational materials.
- Public Health and Research Entities: National associations, statisticians, and researchers gaining from improved data access for studies on stillbirth causes.
- Federal Government: HHS, tasked with funding, consultation, and reporting.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Reinforces privacy protections under laws like HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which safeguards health information) by mandating deidentified data and consent for sensitive records. No new enforcement mechanisms are added, but it promotes standardization that could reduce reporting inconsistencies across states.
- Constitutional: Aligns with the federal government's role in public health under the Commerce Clause, without infringing on state authority (grants are voluntary). Emphasizes consent and privacy, respecting individual rights.
- Political: Bipartisan support evident from diverse cosponsors across parties, signaling broad consensus on maternal health issues. Could influence future funding priorities in public health budgets, potentially setting a precedent for targeted fetal health legislation without addressing broader reproductive rights debates.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (88)
Rep. Castor, Kathy [D-FL-14], Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2], Rep. Joyce, David P. [R-OH-14], Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22], Rep. Nunn, Zachary [R-IA-3], Rep. Carey, Mike [R-OH-15], Rep. Kennedy, Timothy M. [D-NY-26], Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20], Rep. Sherrill, Mikie [D-NJ-11], Rep. Hinson, Ashley [R-IA-2], Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12], Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large], Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3], Rep. Morrison, Kelly [D-MN-3], Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6], Rep. Perez, Marie Gluesenkamp [D-WA-3], Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19], Rep. Mann, Tracey [R-KS-1], Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2], Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33], Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9], Rep. Budzinski, Nikki [D-IL-13], Rep. Adams, Alma S. [D-NC-12], Rep. Van Duyne, Beth [R-TX-24], Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1], Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1], Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2], Rep. Moolenaar, John R. [R-MI-2], Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1], Rep. Cammack, Kat [R-FL-3], Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12], Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6], Rep. Riley, Josh [D-NY-19], Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3], Rep. Fields, Cleo [D-LA-6], Rep. Moore, Tim [R-NC-14], Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36], Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10], Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10], Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2], Rep. Bresnahan, Robert P. [R-PA-8], Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3], Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8], Rep. McBath, Lucy [D-GA-6], Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7], Rep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2], Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14], Rep. Letlow, Julia [R-LA-5], Rep. Ciscomani, Juan [R-AZ-6], Rep. Schrier, Kim [D-WA-8] and 38 more
Recent Actions
- 2025-09-18: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 2025-09-18: Introduced in House
- 2025-09-18: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Stillbirth Health Improvement and Education for Autumn Act of 2025 — issued 2025-09-18 — PDF (5 pages)