H.R. 53 Summary

• Request Department of Health to issue certificates of stillbirth to parents named on fetal death certificates upon parental request

• Directs Department of Health to assess feasibility of implementing a stillbirth certificate program in Hawaii

• Requires Department of Health to submit findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the 2023 Regular Session

• Cites that stillbirth affects approximately one in 160 births in the United States with about 24,000 stillbirths annually, and parents experience elevated rates of depression, anxiety, and PTSD

• Notes that several states including Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, New York, Oregon, and Pennsylvania already issue certificates of stillbirth