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Contact: State Rep. Dennis Johnson
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Governor Signs Birth Certificate Law in Special Ceremony

OKLAHOMA CITY (August 25, 2008) - Legislation allowing the state to issue birth certificates to the parents of a stillborn child has received the governor's signature in a special ceremony.
House Bill 2995, by state Rep. Dennis Johnson, would allow the certificates to be issued in cases of stillbirth for any child 20 weeks or more into a pregnancy. The newly created document would be a "Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth," or COBRS.

"In the past, the parents of a stillborn baby simply received a death certificate, which did little to acknowledge the parents' real loss," said Johnson, R-Duncan. "These families have decorated a nursery, their extended family and friends are excited about the new baby coming, and a birth occurs. The birth certainly doesn't have the outcome the parents expect and then they realize that this short life has already come and gone. I experienced that grief as a grandparent last year and wanted to change the way our state treats parents facing this tragedy. The new certificates focus on the fact that the parents did give birth to a child and help them cope with their loss."

Under the legislation, the parents of a stillborn child can request the birth certificate. This new law is also retroactive so parents can get a COBRS for children lost in past years.
The new law is titled the "MISSing Angels Act" and "Christopher and Kendall's Law" in honor of two children lost to stillbirth. Christopher was born to Pat Flynn in 1978 and Johnson's granddaughter Kendall was born last year.

Flynn approached Johnson about carrying the birth certificate legislation before the 2008 session.

"This document is a simple thing, but it can help provide closure," Johnson said. "It acknowledges that your child was born, was a person and is recognized as a citizen of Oklahoma."

More than 26,000 children are stillborn nationally each year.
The First Breath Foundation helped developed House Bill 2995 and is seeking passage of similar measures across the country. Oklahoma is the 24th state to adopt this law.

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