Reps. Adams, Hinson Expand Stillbirth Prevention Efforts with 2027 Appropriations Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12), and Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02) successfully secured the inclusion of a provision providing technical assistance for stillbirth prevention in the Fiscal Year 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.

The provision secures $1,000,000 for Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to provide ongoing assistance to support states' stillbirth prevention activities, such as the dissemination of stillbirth screening resources and educational prevention tools.

It will also direct HRSA to provide the Appropriations Committee with a report on what steps the agency is taking to assist states with stillbirth prevention efforts and what the agency needs to provide that support.

"Despite advances in medical technology and federal recognition around this issue, the rate of stillbirth is still high in the United States, and the risk doubles for Black women," said Congresswoman Adams. "I am proud to see continued progress being made in Congress to combat stillbirth and the Black maternal health crisis. While stillbirth prevention remains under-funded and under-researched, every step forward is a victory for mothers and children in North Carolina and across the country."

"My stillbirth prevention bill becoming law in 2024 was a major step forward, but our work is far from finished," said Congresswoman Hinson. "That's why I fought to secure targeted funding in this year's Labor-HHS funding bill to help support states' stillbirth prevention efforts and provide additional resources to prevent these heartbreaking losses. Every family deserves the chance to bring home a healthy baby, and I will continue fighting for policies that strengthen families, save lives, and support all women."

Two years ago, Congresswomen Adams and Hinson, alongside Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), passed the Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act into law under President Biden. The act clarifies that current funding through the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Block Grant can be used for stillbirth prevention activities, expanding what resources state health departments and community programs were able to access. The new provision in the 2027 appropriations package builds on that foundation by explicitly directing dedicated federal funding and technical assistance in support of stillbirth prevention efforts.

Still, an average of 58 babies are stillborn in the United States every day, and a predicted 25 percent of stillbirths are preventable, underscoring the need for greater national attention, federal support, and evolving standards of care for expectant mothers.

The stillbirth prevention provision can be found on page 49 of the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill Report for 2027.