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US bill would require hospitals to inform parents of burial rights after miscarriage Newsletters Newsletters Chapter House Latest Sign In Log Out Subscribe Search The Catholic Herald Sign In Log Out Subscribe Sign Out About Our History Contact Sections Latest Chapter House Columns Life Soul Culture Vatican Dispatch Archives Historic Archive Exact Editions More Newsroom Magazine Magnificat Latest Issue May 19, 2026 May 19, 2026 9:34 AM US bill would require hospitals to inform parents of burial rights after miscarriage The Catholic Herald The Catholic Herald More Pro Life US News Politics Related Thomas Colsy Vatican to present Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical on May 25 James Bradbury Archbishop Martin: in the AI era, Pope Leo asks us to preserve human voices and faces Thomas Colsy Pew survey finds shifting views on church and state Min read share A US senator has introduced legislation requiring hospitals and freestanding birth centres to inform parents of their rights to arrange burial or cremation following a miscarriage or stillbirth. Senator Roger Marshall, a Republican from Kansas and a former obstetrician-gynaecologist, introduced the Bereaved Parents Rights Act on May 13. Representative Kat Cammack, a Republican from Florida, has introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives. The proposed law would amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require hospitals and freestanding birth centres to notify parents of their options after pregnancy loss. According to Senator Marshall’s office, parents would have to be informed no later than six hours after the miscarriage or stillbirth, or before discharge, whichever came first. The bill would require parents to be told of their options for private burial, common burial, cremation or disposition by the hospital or birth centre, using a form developed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. If a parent elected in writing within 72 hours to arrange burial or cremation, the facility would have to follow the fetal death disposition options available under state law. Senator Marshall, who practised as an obstetrician-gynaecologist for more than 25 years, said families should be met with “compassion and clarity” after the loss of a child. “No law can take away that pain, but we can ensure parents are informed of their rights and given the opportunity to make decisions for their child with the respect every family deserves,” he said. Representative Cammack, who has spoken publicly about her own experience of an ectopic pregnancy, said: “Any parent who has lost a child needs the space, opportunity, and resources to properly grieve that child.” She added that the issue was “not a partisan issue” but “a human issue”. Supporters of the legislation say current rules on the handling of fetal remains after miscarriage or stillbirth vary significantly by state. Senator Marshall’s office said many states have no clear legal requirements, leaving hospitals to rely on internal policies a

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