1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

Hello- I am a resident of your district writing today to kindly ask you to cosponsor the bipartisan SHINE for Autumn Act, H.R. 5012.  One of my friends suffered a full term stillbirth this month in St. Louis, and this critical legislation addresses the U.S. stillbirth crisis, which tragically accounts for the deaths of over 21,000 babies every year. Many stillbirths are preventable, at least 1 in 4, and occur in healthy low-risk pregnancies. By focusing on improved data collection, education, awareness, and research the SHINE for Autumn Act aims to prevent future stillbirths and save more babies' lives. This bill is important to me because several of my friends have experienced stillbirth, and I’ve personally seen how devastating that grief is, especially without good understanding of why it happens. Efforts outlined in SHINE are much needed but long overdue. The recent advancement of the bill to the full E&C committee is a significant step forward in addressing this tragically neglected public health issue. It was especially gratifying to hear Members acknowledge the urgent need to address stillbirth, while recognizing SHINE as a solution. I am hopeful that with the growing momentum around SHINE and your support, the bill will receive a full committee markup one day soon, and advance towards becoming law in 2024! Your leadership on this lifesaving bill is vital to its success. I hope we can count on your support. Thank you for your consideration and work on behalf of all of us in St. Louis!