Stillbirth Support Grant Program; established.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not specify the total amount of money available for grants beyond the $1,500 per grant.

Stillbirth Support Grant Program

This bill establishes a grant program that provides $1,500 grants to individuals who deliver a stillborn child after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

What This Bill Does

• Creates the Stillbirth Support Grant Program to provide financial assistance for out-of-pocket expenses related to delivering a stillborn child.
• Provides $1,500 grants to individuals who deliver a stillborn child after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
• Requires applications for these grants to be submitted within one year of delivering a stillborn child.
• Authorizes the Board of Health to manage and set rules for this grant program.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who have lost a baby before it was born after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
• The Virginia Board of Health, which will oversee the grant program.

Terms To Know

Stillborn child

A child who suffered an unintended intrauterine fetal death after a gestational period of 20 weeks and for whom a Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth has been issued, excluding cases where the pregnancy was terminated.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how much money will be available for grants beyond the $1,500 per grant.
• It is unclear if there are sufficient funds to provide every eligible person with a full grant amount.

Official Summary Text

Board of Health;
Stillbirth Support Grant Program established.
Establishes the Stillbirth Support Grant Program to provide grants to individuals who deliver a stillborn child, as defined in the bill, to assist with out-of-pocket expenses associated with such delivery. The bill authorizes the Board of Health to administer the Program and establish procedures and issue guidelines for administration of the Program as it deems appropriate. An application for such grant must be submitted within one year of delivery of a stillborn child.

Current Bill Text

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 2 of Chapter 3 of Title 32.1 a section numbered
32.1-78.1
, relating to Board of Health; Stillbirth Support Grant Program established.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Article 2 of Chapter 3 of Title 32.1 a section numbered
32.1-78.1
as follows:

§

32.1-78.1
. Stillbirth Support Grant Program
.

A.
As used in this section,
"
stillborn child
"
means a child (i) who suffered an

unintended, intrauterine fetal death after a gestational period of 20 weeks
;

(ii) for whom a Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth has been requested and issued pursuant to
§

32.1-258.1
;
and (iii) whose death was not
the
result of an induced termination of the pregnancy
.

B. With all funds appropriated for such purpose and any gifts, donations, grants
,
bequests, and other
funds received on its behalf, the Stillbirth Support Grant Program (the Program) is hereby established to provide grants
to individuals who deliver a stillborn child to assist with out-of-pocket expenses associated with such delivery. An application under this section
shall
be submitted within one
year
o
f such delivery of a stillborn child. The total value of a grant awarded to any such
individual shall be $1,500. To apply for a grant as authorized by this section, the individual shall apply to the Board and attach to such applic
ation a Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth issued pursuant to §

32.1-258.1
.

C
. The
P
rogram shall be administered by the Board. The Board may issue guidelines for the administration of the Program as it deems appropriate.
The Board shall establis
h
procedures for grant applications and
for
determining amounts and prioritizing the award of suc
h grants if the moneys appropriated to the Program are not sufficient to provide each applicant the full grant amount for which such applicant is eligible.