House of Representatives Passes SHINE for Autumn
Shalini Wickramatilake, MHS
By Shalini Wickramatilake, MHS
On December 8th, the House of Representatives passed 15 health-related bills, including a bill that Mom Congress has supported: the Stillbirth Health Improvement and Education (SHINE) for Autumn Act (H.R. 5487).
The SHINE for Autumn Act, led by Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Kathy Castor (D-FL), and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), would:
Provide grants to States for data collection on stillbirths;
Develop guidelines for state departments of health and vital statistics units on stillbirth data collection and data sharing;
Support states in the development of educational materials on stillbirth;
Establish a fellowship program at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) focused on stillbirth research; and
Require the Office of the Surgeon General to publish a report with educational guidelines on stillbirth and stillbirth risk factors.
Some other bills that passed the House on December 8th, which have either a direct or indirect impact on mental health and substance use are:
Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (H.R. 1667), led by Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA): This bill would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to disseminate best practices to prevent suicide and improve mental health among health care providers and create a national awareness campaign to encourage health care providers to seek mental health and addiction support.
Opioid Prescription Verification Act (H.R. 2355), led by Reps. Rodney Davis (R-IL), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), and Ann Wagner (R-MO): This bill would require federal agencies to develop and disseminate training materials for pharmacists on verifying the identity of the patient receiving a controlled substance prescription.
Synthetic Opioid Danger Awareness Act (H.R. 2364), led by Reps. Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Chris Pappas (D-NH): This bill would require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to implement a public education campaign related to synthetic opioids, including fentanyl.
Collecting and Analyzing Resources Integral and Necessary for Guidance (CARING) for Social Determinants Act (H.R. 3894), led by Reps. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL): This bill would require the Secretary of HHS to provide guidance and technical assistance to States on how to address social determinants of health through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Social Determinants of Health Data Analysis Act (H.R. 4026), led by Reps. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE): This bill would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to submit a report to Congress on actions taken by the Secretary of HHS to address social determinants of health.
Now that these bills have passed the House, they must be considered and passed by the Senate in order to be signed into law. Mom Congress will continue to track and report on federal legislation impacting moms and families.