With the legislative clock ticking in Annapolis, mothers and advocates filled the State House this week, urging lawmakers to sign off on a one-time $1,000 state tax credit for parents who experience a stillbirth. They say the money would help cover sudden bills such as funeral or cremation fees, genetic testing, grief counseling, and other costs that hit hard at a moment when families are already shattered. With the General Assembly nearing adjournment this month, supporters are making a final sprint to secure a House vote.
The proposal, Senate Bill 356, is sponsored by Sen. Jeff Waldstreicher and has already cleared the Senate and moved to the House Ways and Means Committee, according to the Maryland General Assembly. A fiscal and policy note from the Department of Legislative Services estimates the refundable credit would trim general fund revenues by about $360,000 a year and would apply to tax years beginning after Dec. 31, 2026, so the first claims would show up for 2027. The bill text states that parents would qualify if they have a Maryland certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth or an equivalent fetal death certificate from another state.
At hearings, parents laid out the gut punch of trying to arrange services while in shock and grief. "A thousand dollars of unexpected expenses is crushing," Jessica Brady Reader told Maryland Matters, recalling how she left the hospital without her daughter and then had to plan a funeral. Advocates say the relatively small credit is meant to blunt those immediate out-of-pocket costs and to publicly acknowledge a loss they feel is too often treated as invisible.
Maureen Gaffney, who told WMAR2 she has had two stillborn children, described "the financial impact of their loss" as "overwhelming: hospital bills, genetic testing, therapy, a headstone, and baby items we couldn't return," according to WMAR2 News. Sen. Waldstreicher told the same outlet the legislation is "being held up in the House" as the advocacy group mounts a last-minute push before lawmakers leave Annapolis.
How the credit would work
Under the bill, the credit would be refundable, so parents could receive the full amount even if they owe no state income tax. It would be claimed on the state return for the tax year in which the stillbirth occurred. Sponsors say the credit is tightly focused, limited to one claim per stillbirth, and is meant to help with short-term expenses, not serve as a long-running benefit.
Why supporters say it matters
Backers argue the policy offers practical relief at a moment when every unexpected bill stings and also helps pull stillbirth out of the shadows by putting it directly in state law. National data compiled by the Star Legacy Foundation shows many states report high rates of stillbirths with no identified cause, a gap advocates say warrants more attention, research, and bereavement support.
What’s next in Annapolis
The House Ways and Means Committee must act before the General Assembly adjourns "sine die" on April 13, 2026, or the measure will expire for this session and need to be reintroduced next year, according to Conduit Street. Supporters say they plan to press committee leaders this week, pointing to unanimous Senate support and public testimony from grieving parents as reasons for the House to move quickly.
