Under a new bill in Kansas, doctors would be required to report all miscarriages to their state department of health. HB 2513 is an amendment to the bill which states that all stillborn children must be issued birth certificates.
Many parents feel that HB 2613 over-emphasizes their child’s death, and having to report miscarriages adds to the pain of losing their baby. It also leads to criminalizing pregnant women.
Kansas Rep. John Doll (R) says, “I can’t support the bill as it was amended.” He told ThinkProgress, “I think it waters it down and makes it into a political statement. I wanted a bill to help give closure to some families — I didn’t want it to have anything to do with pro-life or pro-choice issues.”
The CDC currently outlines specific requirements around reporting fetal deaths, infant mortality and abortion. This bill would try to combine different types of reporting in this process which will complicate the system already in place and redefine miscarriage and fetal death.