An Update on Noah's Law

The committee vote on Noah’s Law was scheduled to take place on Friday afternoon, so Kathy (the lactation consultant who got this bill rolling), Rebecca (our childbirth educator who has also been involved in the bill) and I made the trip to Augusta once more so we could be present to answer any questions that might arise. The work session for our bill was scheduled for 1 p.m., and around noon Kathy got a message on her phone saying the bill had passed by unanimous vote. Unfortunately, the message didn’t tell us what the language of the final bill had been like – for all we knew, they had passed a version that simply allowed for a meaningless slip of paper be given to grieving parents. After a brief debate, we decided to finish the journey to Augusta in hopes of tracking down more information.

We wandered around the state building for a few minutes and were wondering what to do next when our senator who is sponsoring the bill happened to walk out of a doorway near where we were standing. We flagged her down and asked her to explain the committee’s decision in more detail. As it turns out, they had decided to address it early because they were all in agreement about passing the version we had submitted on Thursday evening. After the hearing on Wednesday, Kathy spoke with a person who has been involved in helping most other states create Certificates of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth, and he said the vital statistic issue wasn’t crucial as long as the certificates we receive are official state documents. Apparently, most other states use the fetal death certificate as the primary vital record and the official certificate of birth emanates from that. Given that information, we decided we could settle for the same in the state of Maine. According to the language of our amendment, the parents of stillborn babies will now receive an official Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth, and it will have the state seal on it. Also, the bill will be retroactive, so parents who have had stillborn babies in the state of Maine in the past can also obtain their certificates of birth.

Because the committee vote was unanimous, the bill is almost guaranteed to get through the house and the senate without trouble. Based on the current timeline, it could be signed into law within the next two to three weeks. After the senator had explained the situation to us, she decided to ask the committee if they would be willing to put an emergency preamble on the bill, which would mean the law would go into effect immediately after signing, instead of having to go through the typical 90 day waiting period. The committee agreed without hesitation, and then one of the legislative clerks offered to set up a ceremonial signing with the governor, which will happen toward the middle of June. Noah’s certificate of birth will be the first to be printed, and Mark and I will receive it during the ceremony.

Overall, we have accomplished the two primary goals of this bill: the parents of stillborn babies will now receive certificates of birth in addition to certificates of death, and the state of Maine is recognizing the lives that have been lost. Already, this has been a comfort to us and other families who have become involved in this legislation, and I pray it will bring peace to the people who experience this unique kind of tragedy in the future. We appreciate everyone who has supported us through this process through prayers, e-mails, phone calls and other forms of communication.

Because this bill will be known as Noah’s Law, it will become a lasting legacy for our son and we feel indescribably blessed and humbled by that fact. We are no different from any other parents who have lost much-wanted babies to stillbirth in the state of Maine, yet God connected us with the right people at the right time in the right circumstances and then gave us the strength to share our story. If Kathy hadn’t been at the hospital on the day Noah was born, if she hadn’t known how to start a bill with the local senator, if I hadn’t decided to donate my breast milk and stay in touch with Kathy – I could list a dozen other ifs that would have changed this situation such that Noah’s name would not be on the bill, but eventually I would get around to “if Noah’s umbilical cord had stayed where it was supposed to stay”…and I just can’t go there. The circumstances are what they are, and we have been blessed in a unique way.

This past week has been an emotional one, to say the least. And, well, today is Mother’s Day, but my thoughts and emotions on that front are another story for another time. We continue this journey we didn’t expect and wouldn’t have chosen, trusting in the belief that all things will ultimately work together for good.


P.S. We found out a day or two after the hearing that it had been covered by the local news. If you want to see a brief clip of Mark’s testimony, here’s the link: http://www.wmtw.com/video/19390255. The story starts at minute 1:54 and is about a minute long. The newscaster uses the information from the original bill, not the one with the amendments we negotiated.