Sen. Salvador files bill in North Carolina Senate to expand stillbirth prevention education

A new bill filed by State Sen. DeAndrea Salvador in the North Carolina Senate aims to improve stillbirth prevention efforts through increased education and provider protocols, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

The bill, filed as SB 909 on April 29 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘The BUMP Act.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill, known as the BUMP Act, directs the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to provide free, evidence-based educational materials on stillbirth prevention and urgent maternal and fetal warning signs to all pregnant patients, in English, Spanish and other needed languages, and to offer related training to prenatal care providers. It defines key terms, sets standards for fetal movement counseling beginning at 28 weeks, and outlines required provider protocols for responding to decreased fetal movement and other risk factors. The bill appropriates $400,000 in recurring funds for these materials and trainings and $200,000 in recurring funds to launch a statewide “Count the Kicks” public awareness campaign focused on fetal movement, with priority for high-disparity areas. The act takes effect July 1, 2026.

Of the three sponsors of this bill, Natalie S. Murdock proposed the most bills (92) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Salvador graduated from Wake Forest University in 2011 with a BS and again in 2013 from the University of North Carolina Charlott with a BS.

Salvador, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2021 to represent the state’s 39th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Rob Bryan.