HR4581-118

What This Bill Does
This bill explicitly allows states to use their existing Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grant funds for stillbirth prevention programs and research. It clarifies that reducing stillbirth is a permissible use of Title V funding and lists specific evidence-based activities states can support with these funds.

Who Benefits and How
Pregnant women benefit from expanded prevention programs including fetal movement tracking, improved birth timing for high-risk pregnancies, safe sleep positioning education, and screening for fetal growth restriction. States gain explicit authorization to fund stillbirth prevention without needing new appropriations. Community health programs offering home visits and support to pregnant women can access MCH Block Grant funding.

Who Bears the Burden and How
This bill creates no new burdens—it simply clarifies existing permitted uses of MCH Block Grant funds. States may choose to allocate more of their existing grants to stillbirth prevention, potentially redirecting funds from other MCH activities.

Key Provisions
- Adds reducing stillbirth incidence to MCH Block Grant purposes
- Lists permissible activities: fetal movement tracking, birth timing improvements, safe sleep positioning, fetal growth screening, smoking cessation, home visits
- Authorizes outcome research on stillbirth prevention
- Allows community-based programs and other evidence-based programming
- No new appropriations—uses existing Title V funding