Together with First Candle,  and the CJ Foundation for SIDS, would like to update you on advocacy efforts related to S.1445 and H.R.3212 - the Stillbirth and SUID Prevention, Education and Awareness Act.

As of today, 19 members have joined Congressman Pallone as co-sponsors in the House and 7 Senators have joined Senator Lautenberg as co-sponsors in the Senate. The next step is for the bills to be reviewed in committee.

·         The Health Committee will review S.1445 in the Senate

·         The Energy and Commerce Committee will review H.R.3212 in the House

It is crucial for the bill to first gain widespread support of the members of these committees to move forward. With that goal in mind, two events are being planned:

·         A Congressional Staff Breakfast on May 18, 2010, to educate staff on the importance of better data collection to understand the reasons for these deaths.

·         A concerted effort for families to meet with their Senators and Representatives in their DC offices after the breakfast to encourage their support and co-sponsorship.

Use the list below to see if your Senators or Representatives are members of these two committees. If they are, would you be willing to come to DC on May 18, 2010 and meet with them in their offices? Meeting face to face with families has been the most powerful tool in gaining support for the Stillbirth and SUID Prevention, Education and Awareness Act.

If you are interested, please contact Marian Sokol at marian@firstcandle.org or Laura Crandall at laura@sucd.org. We can provide guidance and support in coordinating with other families, scheduling meetings and preparing you for the meeting. These meetings should be initiated in the next week.

We thank you in advance for your support of this important effort.