HI SCR68

Request that the Department of Health issue certificates of stillbirth to parents upon request when a fetal death certificate is issued in Hawaii.

Require the Department of Health to assess the feasibility of implementing a stillbirth certificate program in the State.

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

Acknowledge that stillbirth affects approximately one in 160 births nationally, with about 24,000 stillbirths occurring annually in the United States, and that parents who experience stillbirth have higher risks of depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

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