Short title

This Act may be cited as the

Stillbirth Health Improvement and Education for Autumn Act of 2022

or the

SHINE for Autumn Act of 2022

Stillbirth research and data collection improvements

Title III of the Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after section 317L–1 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 247b–13a) the following:

317L–2.

Stillbirth research and data collection improvements

(a)

Stillbirth surveillance and risk factor studies

(1)

In general

The Secretary may award grants to States for purposes of—(A)conducting surveillance and collecting data with respect to stillbirths; (B)building State and local public health capacity to assess stillbirth data; and(C)collecting and reporting data on stillbirth risk factors, including any quantifiable outcomes with respect to such risk factors. (2)

Authorization of appropriations

To carry out this subsection, there is authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027.(b)

Guidelines and educational awareness materials

(1)

In general

The Secretary shall—(A)issue guidelines to State departments of health and State and local vital statistics units on—(i)collecting data on stillbirth from health care providers, and with the consent of the family involved, including any such data with respect to the clinical history, postmortem examination, and placental pathology; (ii)sharing such data with Federal agencies determined appropriate by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and(iii)improving processes and training related to stillbirth data collection and reporting to ensure standardization and completeness of data; and(B)develop, and make publicly available, educational awareness materials on stillbirths.(2)

Consultation

In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary may consult with— (A)national health care professional associations;(B)national associations representing State and local public health officials;(C)organizations that assist families with burial support and bereavement services; (D)nurses and nurse practitioners; (E)obstetricians and gynecologists;(F)pediatricians;(G)maternal-fetal medicine specialists;(H)midwives;(I)mental health professionals; (J)statisticians; (K)individuals who have experienced a stillbirth; and(L)advocacy organizations representing such individuals.(3)

Authorization of appropriations

To carry out this subsection, there is authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027.(c)

Vital statistics unit defined

In this section, the term vital statistics unit means the entity that is responsible for maintaining vital records for a State, or a political subdivision of such State, including official records of live births, deaths, fetal deaths, marriages, divorces, and annulments.

Perinatal pathology fellowships

The Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after section 1122 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 300c–12) the following:

1123.

Improving perinatal pathology

(a)

In general

The Secretary shall establish and implement, or incorporate into an existing training program, a Perinatal Pathology Fellowship Program or a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship on Factors Associated with Stillbirth Program to—(1)provide training in perinatal autopsy pathology;(2)conduct research on, and improve data collection through fetal autopsies with respect to, stillbirth; and(3)address challenges in stillbirth education, research, and data collection. (b)

Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027.

Reports

(a)

Educational guidelines report

(1)

In general

Not later than five years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall publish on a public website of the Department of Health and Human Services a report with educational guidelines on stillbirth and stillbirth risk factors.(2)

Contents

Such report shall include, to the extent practicable and appropriate, the guidelines issued and educational awareness materials developed under section 317L–2 of the Public Health Service Act, as added by section 2 of this Act.(b)

Progress report

Not later than five years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to the Congress a comprehensive report on the progress and effectiveness of the Perinatal Pathology Fellowship Program established under section 1123 of the Public Health Service Act, as added by section 3 of this Act.