Assemblyman Will Barclay (R,C,I—Pulaski) said today he was pleased the Stillborn Birth Certificate bill was signed into law by the Governor.

The new law will enable parents of stillborn children to receive a stillbirth certificate. Parents are currently only issued a fetal death certificate in these cases in New York. This law will require registrars of vital statistics to issue a certificate of stillbirth when requested by the family. It also enables parents to record a name on the certificate. The terms in the law state it is effective 180 days after it has been signed by the Governor. In approximately 6 months, families will be able to receive such a certificate.

Barclay was a sponsor of this legislation.

“I am pleased the Governor signed this legislation. This means, for families who experience a tragic event like this, they can at the very least record the name of their child on a public form. This seems the least our Health Departments can do for grieving families,” said Barclay.

This will help provide closure to many who have suffered such a loss.

“I’ve heard from several constituents who believe this would help ease pain and help in their healing process,” said Barclay.