By Jordan Meadows
Staff Writer
A bill moving through the North Carolina General Assembly aims to address what lawmakers and advocates describe as a growing stillbirth crisis across the state.
Senate Bill 909, known as the Building Understanding of Movement in Pregnancy Act, or BUMP Act, would require the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to provide free, standardized education on stillbirth prevention to pregnant patients and training for prenatal care providers statewide. Introduced by Natalie Murdock alongside co-sponsors DeAndrea Salvador and Sophia Chitlik, the legislation focuses heavily on fetal movement tracking and early intervention during pregnancy.
Under the proposal, educational materials would be evidence-based and available in English, Spanish, and other languages as needed. The materials would include information on warning signs requiring urgent medical attention, stillbirth risk factors such as infections, hypertension, and diabetes, and guidance on how expectant mothers can access care, including after-hours services.
“This act requires DHHS to provide standardized and evidence-based educational materials to pregnant patients for stillbirth prevention,” Murdock said in a press conference on Thursday.
Murdock said the legislation would also require the state to develop or procure training for prenatal care providers focused on fetal movement education beginning at 28 weeks of pregnancy. The training would cover response protocols for decreased fetal movement, including same-day evaluation, infection-related risks such as syphilis, and placental and umbilical cord complications. The bill directs that training be offered both virtually and in person.
“This is a common-sense approach that strengthens care, supports parents, and saves lives,” Murdock said.
The legislation comes as North Carolina continues to report higher-than-average stillbirth rates. According to supporters of the bill, approximately 708 babies are stillborn in North Carolina each year and the state’s stillbirth rate has remained largely unchanged since 2009.
Murdock said counties including Anson, Edgecombe, Sampson, Lenoir, and Vance face some of the highest risks, with Black mothers in North Carolina experiencing stillbirth at roughly twice the rate of other groups.
A major component of the bill is the launch of a statewide “Count the Kicks” public awareness campaign, which would receive $200,000 in recurring funding beginning in the 2026-27 fiscal year. The initiative is designed to teach expectant parents to monitor fetal movement during the third trimester using tools such as a mobile app, kick-count tracking bracelets, or paper charts.
“Parents track how long it takes to feel a set number of movements and learn what is normal for their baby so they can quickly recognize and report any changes that may signal distress,” Murdock said.
Supporters of the legislation say education and awareness can make a measurable difference. Emily Levin, a mother advocating for the bill, said improved awareness and provider training can help prevent tragedies.
“There are solutions to the stillbirth crisis in North Carolina,” Levin said. “Every provider also deserves to have the training and resources needed to improve outcomes for their patients.”
The BUMP Act would appropriate $400,000 in recurring state funding to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Public Health beginning in the 2026-27 fiscal year. Half of the funding would support patient education materials, while the remaining funds would be used to train prenatal care providers on stillbirth prevention protocols.
Senate Bill 909 passed its first reading in the North Carolina Senate and was referred to the Senate Committee on Appropriations/Base Budget for further review.
