WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

SB 1776

SB 1776 - Under this act, when a spontaneous fetal death of twenty or more completed weeks gestation occurs without medical attendance at or immediately after delivery and when a licensed treating physician has previously determined the nonviability of the pregnancy, the physician's written determination shall serve as sufficient evidence for purposes of filing a spontaneous fetal death report and the treating physician shall file the report within seven days of receiving notice of the spontaneous fetal death. SARAH HASKINS

2026 Regular Session

Allows a physician’s written nonviability determination to serve as sufficient evidence for reporting spontaneous fetal deaths, with seven-day filing requirements.

Second Read and Referred S Families, Seniors and Health Committee
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 1776

Summary of SB 1776 (Session 2026, Missouri)

Purpose and intent

  • The bill modifies requirements for reporting spontaneous fetal deaths (stillbirths) in Missouri, with a key focus on providing a clarified and potentially streamlined process when a licensed treating physician has previously determined the pregnancy nonviable.
  • It aims to ensure a physician’s written determination of nonviability can serve as sufficient evidence for the reporting process, and it sets specific filing timelines.

Key provisions and changes

  • Reporting timeline and thresholds

    • Any spontaneous fetal death at 20 completed weeks of gestation or more (calculated from the last normal menstrual period to delivery) or a fetal weight of 350 grams or more must be reported within seven days after delivery to the local registrar (or as directed by the state registrar).

  • Roles and responsibilities for reporting

    • If the dead fetus is delivered in an institution, the person in charge or their designated representative must prepare and file the report.
    • If the dead fetus is delivered outside an institution, the physician in attendance at or immediately after delivery must prepare and file the report.

  • Role of medical examiner/coroner and physician evidence

    • If the spontaneous fetal death requires an investigation by a medical examiner or coroner (i.e., occurs without medical attendance or when an inquiry is required), the medical examiner or coroner must investigate and file the report within seven days.
    • Crucially, if a licensed treating physician has, in writing, determined the nonviability of the pregnancy before the spontaneous fetal death, that written determination shall serve as sufficient evidence for purposes of the reporting requirement. In such cases, the treating physician must file the report within seven days of receiving notice of the spontaneous fetal death.

  • Conveyance-related and unknown-location deaths

    • If a spontaneous fetal death occurs in a moving conveyance and the fetus is first removed from the conveyance in Missouri, or if the place of death is unknown and the fetus is found in Missouri, the death must be reported in Missouri. The place of first removal or where the fetus was found is considered the place of death for reporting purposes.

  • Access to reports by interested parties

    • Individuals with direct and tangible interest (as defined by the Department of Health and Senior Services) may receive the spontaneous fetal death report.

  • Certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth

    • Either parent (or, if both parents are deceased, a sibling) has the right to file an application for a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth with the state registrar and other vital records custodians. The certificate will be based on information from the spontaneous fetal death report.

Who is affected

  • Hospitals and birth facilities (responsible for filing reports when deaths occur in institutions).
  • Physicians (attending physicians outside institutions; treating physicians with written nonviability determinations).
  • Medical examiners and coroners (for cases requiring investigation).
  • State and local vital records offices (state registrar and local registrar offices).
  • Families and individuals with direct or tangible interest, including parents and siblings seeking a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth.
  • The Department of Health and Senior Services (defines who has an “interest” and oversees access to reports).

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Seven-day filing requirement applies broadly, with a streamlined path for cases where a physician’s written nonviability determination exists.
  • The act redefines the evidentiary standard for reporting in such cases, placing weight on the physician’s prior written determination.
  • For out-of-hospital or unseen-death scenarios, investigations by medical examiners/coroners retain the seven-day filing requirement unless the physician’s written determination suffices as evidence.
  • The act preserves a process by which families can obtain a certificate of stillbirth using information from the spontaneous fetal death report.

Additional notes

  • The bill repeals the current Section 193.165 and enacts a new one with these provisions.
  • The text includes standard references to coordination with the state registrar and local registrars, as well as provisions for reporting where the death occurred or was first identified.

If you’d like, I can provide a brief comparison with current law (pre-SB 1776) to highlight the exact changes in evidentiary standards and filing responsibilities.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.