December 7, 2020
The North Carolina Child Fatality Task Force’s committees on Unintentional Death Prevention and Perinatal Health met today to discuss policy recommendations and to receive updates on several policy issues.
Unintentional Death Prevention Committee
The Unintentional Death Prevention Committee met this morning to discuss primary enforcement of rear seat restraints and child passenger safety. Currently, North Carolina law states that passengers in all positions of a vehicle are required to be restrained. However, failure to wear a seat belt in the back seat by those 16 and up cannot be the primary justification for a traffic stop. In years past, the task force supported legislation for primary enforcement of all unrestrained back seat passengers and an increased fine for unrestrained back seat passengers from $10 to $25. In 2017 a bill was introduced in the House to support this recommendation, but did not advance for a final floor vote. The committee voted not to pursue legislation on tougher seat belt laws for the 2021 legislative session due to lawmakers’ opposition to the request in years past.
Lastly, the committee received an update from the UNC Highway Safety Research Center related to current laws on child passenger safety. Committee members discussed two child passenger safety statutes in North Carolina that differ from the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations, including the age required to ride in rear seat, and how long an infant must stay in a rear-facing seat.
Perinatal Health Committee
This afternoon the Perinatal Health Committee met to review last year’s policy recommendations and to update recommendations for the 2021 long session. NC Department of Health and Human Services also gave an update on the status of prior recommendations to strengthen the Child Fatality Prevention System.
Dr. Keisha Bentley-Edwards, assistant professor at the Duke University School of Medicine’s General Internal Medicine Division and associate director of research and director of the Health Equity Working Group for the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University, along with Beth Messersmith from MomsRising, presented to the committee on kin care and safe days, and paid family and medical leave. Dr. Bentley-Edwards and Messersmith explained how the policy recommendations would strengthen child and family health, well-being, and economic stability.
Dr. Bentley-Edwards presented to the group on the need for racial health equity in birth outcomes. Black infants have a higher mortality rate in North Carolina than any other race. Dr. Bentley-Edwards recommended several key policy proposals to address racial health disparities among Black women and babies, including paid family leave, perinatal care, practitioner training, additional funds for programs and services, and enforcement of discrimination laws. The presenters also discussed a 2019 white paper published by Duke’s Center for Child and Family Policy on how paid family leave insurance in North Carolina would improve family health and economic outcomes.
The committee will continue discussions on endorsing legislation for the 2021 long session to address paid family leave insurance in North Carolina, and legislation for kin care and safe days that would guarantee all North Carolina workers the right to use their sick days (whether paid or job-protected unpaid) to care for a sick loved one, seek preventative care, or deal with the physical, mental, or legal impacts of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. The full Child Fatality Task Force will meet on Monday, January 11th at 9 a.m. to further discuss policy proposals for the 2021 legislative session.