Help Us Pass Proposed H.B. No. 5103

We've been working with our amazing representative, Aimee Berger-Girvalo, and are thrilled to let you know that we have a proposed bill before the CT legislature (Proposed H.B. No. 5103). Now, we need to come together as a team and let our reps know, we need it passed!

This bill will allow families like ours who don't get to bring their baby home from the hospital to receive the same tax credit as those who do. This is critical legislation, losing a baby is crippling and that great tragedy comes with an incredibly high bill. Giving families like ours that lose a baby at 20 plus weeks of gestation a one-time tax credit of $2,500 will allow them to cover critical expenses related to; burial, genetic testing, and mental health services (among others). These funds will help mitigate the financial burden associated with this incredible loss and is one small way our state can tell these families- you too are parents! 

How can you help? Please send the below email to your finance committee representative. You can find a list here. If you'd like to learn more- please see the below fact sheet or email us!

 PROPOSED EMAIL- Amend/ Personalize as you see fit.

SUBJECT: I Support H.B. No 5103, You Should Too! 

Text:  

Dear Representative/ Senator_____,

My name is ____________ and I live in your district.

I am a supporter of H.B No 5103, to establish a credit of $2,500 against the personal income tax for parents who experience the birth of a stillborn child. This legislation is bi-partisan, proposed by Aimee Berger-Girvalo and co-sponsored by more than 30 others from both parties. In the Republican party, Representatives Petit and Fishbein are co-sponsoring this bill with Representative Cheeseman in support.  As a fellow parent, and advocate for families, my hope is that you would consider not just supporting but co-sponsoring this bill. It’s worth noting that similar legislation recently passed in Louisiana, while other bills in NJ and NY have not made it out of committee. Your support could help Connecticut lead the Northeast in providing families with much-needed financial, emotional, and societal support to mitigate the costs – ultimately acknowledging their child’s life.

Parents who suffer the crippling loss of a stillbirth are coping with an immense tragedy and these funds are critical to help them cover such expenses as: burial, genetic testing, and mental health services. And importantly, this legislation will send a meaningful message to affected families, that their babies' matter and they, too, are parents. 

Thank you for your service to my community.

Sincerely,

_____

Fact Sheet on CT State Stillbirth Proposed H.B. No. 5103
Provide a $2,500 refundable tax credit for the birth of a stillborn child. Introduced by Rep. Aimee Berger-Girvalo, 111th Dist.

Unlike other children who die in their first year, stillborn babies are not currently recognized as a dependent under CT State tax law. This deprives families of much-needed financial, emotional, and societal support to mitigate the costs associated with medical care, burial, recovery, and so much more—ultimately acknowledging their child’s life.

1.      Financial—Families of stillborn babies face the same costs as other families during pregnancy (nursery, clothes, diapers, etc.) and at birth (hospital bills, etc.). They also face unexpected costs that no parent should ever have to pay for: funeral, burial/cremation, autopsy, placental pathology, genetic screen, time away from work, mental health support, etc. These can easily add up to tens of thousands of dollars of expenses.

2.      Emotional—There is a lack of parity under current law. A baby born at any gestation that shows any single sign of life (one breath or heartbeat), is afforded a birth certificate and counts as a tax dependent in the year of birth. However, a baby carried for 9 full months who dies only moments before birth does not "count." Parents are left feeling their child’s life is not acknowledged or valued.

3.     Societal—Stillbirth remains a “taboo” subject and as such, there is very little awareness of the risk among expectant families and the general population. There are simple steps that pregnant women can take to protect their babies, but they are rarely educated about them or where to turn for support if their baby dies, since no one wants to talk about stillbirth. The legislative process can help bring this subject into the light.

Why Now?

Each year, 23,000 babies are stillborn in the U.S. – that's 1 in 170 pregnancies, or the equivalent of a school bus full of children (65 kids) every single day. Stillbirth, the unintended death of an infant before or during delivery at 20 or more weeks completed gestation, cuts across all socio-economic classes, races, and maternal age groups. Rates are double in Black women

Stillbirth Tax Credit bills in CT and other states (currently: AR, AZ, LA, MI, MN, ND) have garnered widespread bipartisan support, including that of ACOG (The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists), public health groups, and both pro-choice and pro-life groups.