Signed by Governor Kevin Stitt

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes parental funeral and burial rights for first trimester miscarriages.

Highlights:

• Classifies “fetal death” as the following (Sec. 1.B):

• Spontaneous death prior to the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of an unborn child, irrespective of gestational age, indicated by the fact that, after such expulsion or extraction, the unborn child does not breathe or show any other evidence of life such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord or definite movement of voluntary muscles;

• Death that occurs as the result of accidental trauma or a criminal assault on the pregnant female or her unborn child, irrespective of gestational age; or

• Death that occurs, irrespective of gestational age, from the use or prescription of any instrument, medicine, drug or any other substance or device to remove an ectopic pregnancy.

• Requires every licensed hospital, birthing center or medical facility in this state to maintain a written policy for the disposition of the remains of a child from a stillbirth or fetal death event, at such hospital, birthing center or medical facility (Sec. 1.C).

• Specifies nothing can be interpreted to prohibit any hospital, birthing center or medical facility from providing additional notification and assistance to the parent of a child delivered as a stillbirth or a fetal death event at the hospital, birthing center or medical facility relating to the disposition of the remains of the child (Sec. 1.D).

Full Bill Text