Sudden Unexpected Death Data Enhancement and Awarness Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise with great pride to be speaking in support of H.R. 669, the Sudden Unexpected Death Data Enhancement and Awareness Act.

This has been an issue that I have worked on for many years in Congress. In particular, it is one of the many bills that I partnered with my late friend, Senator Frank Lautenberg. I also want to thank Congressman Peter King as well, since he worked with me on this.

Stillbirth and unexpected infant death affect tens of thousands of families every year, according to data from CDC, and sudden infant death syndrome is the leading cause of death for infants up to 12 months old. Unfortunately, too many families in this country suffer these tragic events, but what makes matters even worse is their struggle with the process to help find answers.

Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive, high-quality data to best understand why these events occur in the first place. The intent of the bill has always been to better utilize the Federal Government's activities in this area.

Specifically, it would expand and standardize surveillance and data collection for stillbirth and sudden unexpected infant death and sudden unexplained death in childhood at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In addition, it would improve the development of standard protocols for use in death scene investigations and autopsies surrounding these deaths and also allow the Secretary of HHS to conduct training activities regarding these protocols.

The bill also requires CDC, in consultation with NIH, to submit a report to Congress on current activities related to stillbirth, SUID, and SUDC and evaluate the possibility of expanding programs related to SUDC specifically.

Let me close, Mr. Speaker, by personally thanking Laura Crandall, cofounder and codirector of the CJ Foundation's SUDC program. This issue hits close to home for Laura, but in the face of tragedy, she decided to work to help others who also suffered.

She has been a great advocate for this bill and has spread awareness of SUDC in communities all across the country. I thank her for her strength, determination, and dedication.

Mr. Speaker, this bill isn't everything I think the CDC can be doing to address the needs of families across the country, but it represents a critical step on a very tragic issue that deserves our attention.

I urge my colleagues to support its passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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