Great piece of legislation

The State of Arizona passed legislation allowing a one time tax break for parents of stillborn children. I think this is great. Having a baby is expensive. Having a baby and paying for burial expenses is adding insult to injury. If the average medical care for delivering a stillborn child is $3000, funeral expenses including burial and a headstone can easily double that. This could really assist young families as they recover from their grief and lessen their financial burden as well.

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Arizona Legislature Sends Stillbirth Tax Relief Bill to Governor.

Senate Bill 1003 has passed the House of Representatives and is being transferred to the Governor for signature.

This bill, for the first time in any state, allows for a one-time tax deduction for parents who experience the stillbirth of a child during the same year in which the child was born and died.

As many of you know, Arizona was the first state to enact the MISSing Angels Bill, leading the way for many other states that would follow, requiring that hospitals offer and the state vital records office provide a birth certificate (in addition to the death certificate) for stillborn infants. Arizona has, once again, stepped forward in its recognition and support of stillbirth families.

Special gratitude to Arizona legislators and to the Sanchez-Wilson family for sharing their story and appearing with me at hearings to testify and to The MISS Foundation and its founder Joanne Cacciatore-Girard who spearheaded the effort. We are awaiting a public ceremony.

The text of the applicable portion of the Bill appears below>

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Senate Engrossed

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State of Arizona

Senate

Forty-sixth

Legislature

Second Regular Session

2004

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SENATE BILL 1003

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AN ACT

AMENDING SECTION 43-1023, ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES; RELATING TO INDIVIDUAL INCOME TAX EXEMPTIONS.

B. A taxpayer is allowed an exemption of two thousand three hundred dollars for:

1.

2.

3. FOR TAXABLE YEARS BEGINNING FROM AND AFTER DECEMBER 31, 2003, EACH BIRTH FOR WHICH A CERTIFICATE OF BIRTH RESULTING IN STILLBIRTH HAS BEEN ISSUED PURSUANT TO SECTION 36-329.01 IF THE CHILD OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE TAXPAYER’S HOUSEHOLD. THE TAXPAYER MAY ONLY CLAIM THE EXEMPTION UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH IN THE TAXABLE YEAR IN WHICH THE STILLBIRTH OCCURRED.

From www.stillnomore.org

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