House File 589 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 589 BY YOUNG , GEHLBACH , and ANDREWS A BILL FOR An Act creating the compassion and care for medically 1 challenging pregnancies Act. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2778YH (1) 91 lh/ko
H.F. 589 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 135S.1 Title. 1 This chapter shall be known as the Compassion and Care for 2 Medically Challenging Pregnancies Act . 3 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 135S.2 Definitions. 4 For the purposes of this chapter, unless the context 5 otherwise requires: 6 1. Department means the department of health and human 7 services. 8 2. Health care practitioner means a physician licensed 9 pursuant to chapter 148, an advanced registered nurse 10 practitioner licensed pursuant to chapter 152, or an advanced 11 practice registered nurse under chapter 152E. 12 3. Lethal fetal anomaly means a fetal condition diagnosed 13 before birth that will, with reasonable certainty, result in 14 the death of the child three months after birth. 15 4. Perinatal hospice service means comprehensive 16 support to a pregnant woman and her family that includes 17 support from the time of diagnosis of a lethal fetal anomaly, 18 through the time of birth and the death of the infant, and 19 through the postpartum period. Perinatal hospice services 20 may include but are not limited to counseling and medical 21 care by maternal-fetal medical specialists, obstetricians, 22 neonatologists, anesthesia specialists, clergy, social workers, 23 and specialty nurses focused on alleviating fear and ensuring 24 that the pregnant woman and her family experience the life and 25 death of the child in a comfortable and supportive environment. 26 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION . 135S.3 Perinatal hospice services 27 health care practitioner role list and information. 28 1. A health care practitioner who diagnoses a lethal fetal 29 anomaly may do any of the following: 30 a. Inform the pregnant woman, orally and in person, that 31 perinatal hospice services are available and offer to refer the 32 pregnant woman for such services. 33 b. Provide the pregnant woman with the list and information 34 sheet regarding available perinatal hospice services compiled 35 -1- LSB 2778YH (1) 91 lh/ko 1/ 3
H.F. 589 and provided by the department pursuant to subsection 2. 1 2. a. The department shall compile a geographically 2 organized list of, and an information sheet regarding, 3 perinatal hospice services available in Iowa and nationally. 4 b. The department shall post the list and information sheet 5 compiled under this subsection, available in both English and 6 Spanish, on the departments internet site. 7 c. The internet site and information sheet shall include all 8 of the following: 9 (1) A statement indicating that perinatal hospice services 10 are an innovative and compassionate model of support for a 11 pregnant woman who is informed that her baby has a lethal fetal 12 anomaly and chooses to continue her pregnancy. 13 (2) A general description of the perinatal hospice services 14 available. 15 (3) At the request of a perinatal hospice service included 16 on the list, the perinatal hospice services informational 17 materials and contact information, including whether 18 twenty-four-hour perinatal hospice services are available. 19 EXPLANATION 20 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 21 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 22 This bill creates the Compassion and Care for Medically 23 Challenging Pregnancies Act. 24 The bill provides definitions for department, health care 25 practitioner, lethal fetal anomaly, and perinatal hospice 26 service as used in the bill. 27 The bill provides that a health care practitioner who 28 diagnoses a lethal fetal anomaly may inform the pregnant 29 woman, orally and in person, that perinatal hospice services 30 are available and offer to refer the pregnant woman for 31 such services; or provide the pregnant woman with the list 32 and information sheet regarding available perinatal hospice 33 services compiled and provided by the department of health and 34 human services (HHS). 35 -2- LSB 2778YH (1) 91 lh/ko 2/ 3
H.F. 589 The bill requires HHS to compile a geographically organized 1 list of, and an information sheet regarding, perinatal hospice 2 services available in Iowa and nationally. HHS shall post 3 the list and information sheet, available in both English 4 and Spanish, on HHSs internet site. The internet site and 5 information sheet shall include a statement indicating that 6 perinatal hospice services are an innovative and compassionate 7 model of support for the pregnant woman who is informed that 8 her baby has a lethal fetal anomaly and chooses to continue 9 her pregnancy; a general description of the perinatal hospice 10 services available; and at the request of a perinatal hospice 11 service included on the list, the perinatal hospice services 12 informational materials and contact information, including 13 whether 24-hour perinatal hospice services are available. 14 -3- LSB 2778YH (1) 91 lh/ko 3/ 3