Shapiro signs Curry bill streamlining post-stillbirth paperwork into law
Rep. Gina H. Curry July 23, 2026
HARRISBURG, July 23 – On Monday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed into law Act 34, legislation introduced by state Rep. Gina H. Curry to streamline fetal death paperwork for families who experience loss during a midwife-led birth.
Under the new law, if a death certificate is needed and no qualifying professional is present during the delivery, the case must be referred to the county coroner for investigation. Act 34 adds midwives to the list of qualifying professionals alongside physicians, certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
“By signing this legislation into law, Governor Shapiro ensures families with midwife-led birth journeys will no longer be forced to wait through an overly bureaucratic process while they grieve,” said Curry, D-Delaware. “This will make such a difference for families by alleviating an emotional burden at one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.
“Additionally, I am glad this law recognizes the skills midwives bring to the birthing process as highly trained compassionate medical professionals.”
Act 34 is part of the Pennsylvania Black Maternal Health Caucus’s PA MOMNIBUS, a comprehensive legislative package designed to confront the commonwealth’s persistently high rates of Black maternal mortality and morbidity through bold, evidence-based policy solutions. It is now the fourth PA MOMNIBUS bill signed into law since the caucus launched the initiative in 2024. Specifically, Act 34 is part of the caucus’s Expanding Midwifery Access & Authority for Healthier Communities initiative and is the second midwifery bill from that package to be signed into law alongside Act 12.
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