General Assembly Raised Bill No. 298
February Session, 2018 LCO No. 1433
*01433_______PH_*
Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH
Introduced by:
(PH)
General Assembly
Raised Bill No. 298
February Session, 2018
LCO No. 1433
*01433_______PH_*
Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH
Introduced by:
(PH)
AN ACT CONCERNING BURIAL AND CREMATION IN CASES OF SPONTANEOUS FETAL DEMISE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2018) (a) As used in this section, "spontaneous fetal demise" means the death of a fetus that occurs prior to a gestation period of twenty weeks.
(b) The mother of a fetus that experienced a spontaneous fetal demise shall have the right to bury or cremate the fetus. If the mother elects to bury or cremate the fetus pursuant to the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, the disposition of the fetus shall be subject to the same laws, regulations or protocols that apply to the disposition of a fetus that died at or after a gestation period of twenty weeks.
(c) A hospital that has custody of a fetus following a spontaneous fetal demise shall notify the mother of the fetus in writing of her right to arrange for burial or cremation of the fetus. Not later than twenty-four hours after being notified by the hospital under this subsection, the mother may elect, in writing, to arrange for the burial or cremation of the fetus. The Department of Public Health shall develop the forms to be used for notifications and elections under this section. A hospital that has custody of a fetus following a spontaneous fetal demise shall provide such forms to the mother of the fetus.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2018 New section
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
July 1, 2018
New section
Statement of Purpose:
To allow the burial or cremation of a fetus following spontaneous fetal demise.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]