SLS 24RS-277 ORIGINAL
2024 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 151
BY SENATOR CARTER
HEALTH CARE. Provides relative to free-standing birth centers. (8/1/24)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 40:2180.25(B)(2), relative to free-standing birth centers; to
3 provide for licensing standards for free-standing birth centers; to provide for rules
4 and regulations promulgated by the Louisiana Department of Health; and to provide
5 for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 40:2180.25(B)(2) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as
8 follows:
9 ยง2180.25. Rules and regulations; licensing standards
10 * * *
11 B.
12 * * *
13 (2) The rules, regulations, and licensing standards shall have the effect of law
14 and shall include but not be limited to the following:
15 (a) Licensure application and renewal, including forms, procedures, and
16 requirements. Any initial licensure requirements shall include defined standards
17 in alignment with Facility Guideline Institute and Accreditation Standard.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 151
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1 (b) Operational requirements.
2 (c) Practice standards to assure quality of care.
3 (d) Practice standards to assure quality of care and the health, safety,
4 welfare, well-being, and comfort of persons receiving care and services. The
5 practice standards shall be clearly defined for each type of practitioner
6 authorized to provide services in a free-standing birth clinic.
7 (e)(d) Confidentiality of clients' records.
8 (f)(e) Criteria and protocols to assure uniform and quality assessment,
9 diagnosis, evaluation, and referral to appropriate level of care.
10 (g)(f) Administration, personnel, and staffing requirements.
11 (h)(g) Survey and complaint investigations, including investigations into
12 allegations that a provider is operating without a license.
13 (i)(h) License types, including provisional licenses.
14 (j)(i) Denial, revocation, suspension, and nonrenewal of licenses, and the
15 appeals therefrom.
16 (k)(j) Planning, construction, and design of the center to ensure the health,
17 safety, welfare, well-being, and comfort of persons receiving care and services.
18 (l) The requirement that each free-standing birth center be located within a
19 ground-travel-time distance from a general acute care hospital providing obstetric
20 services which allows for an emergency cesarean delivery to begin within thirty
21 minutes of the decision that a cesarean delivery is necessary.
22 (m)(k) Requirements for the utilization of an approved statewide
23 transfer initiative. Requirements for each free-standing birth center to have
24 agreements or written policies and procedures with other agencies, institutions, or
25 individuals for services to clients including but not limited to:
26 (i) Laboratory and diagnostic services.
27 (ii) Obstetric consultation services.
28 (iii) Pediatric consultation services.
29 (iv) Transport services.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 151
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1 (v) Obstetric and newborn acute care in hospitals.
2 (n)(l) Requirements for each free-standing birth center to have an established
3 consultation, collaboration, or referral system, in both emergency and
4 non-emergency circumstances, that falls outside the scope of birth center practice,
5 to meet the needs of a mother or baby.
6 (o)(m) Requirements for transferring and transporting clients to hospitals;
7 protocols for the transfer of any patient to a licensed hospital; and arrangements with
8 a local ambulance for the transport of emergency patients to a licensed hospital.
9 (p)(n) Requirements for documentation of adequate prenatal care during the
10 pregnancy.
11 (q)(o) Requirements for documentation and evidence that the delivery is
12 expected to be low-risk, singleton birth, and vertex presentation.
13 (r)(p) Requirements for meeting specific national standards for birth centers
14 published or established by the American Association of Birth Centers, as well as
15 requirements for accreditation by the Commission for Accreditation of Birth Centers.
16 (s)(q) Other regulations or standards that will ensure proper care and
17 treatment of persons receiving care and services at the free-standing birth center, that
18 may be deemed necessary by the department for an effective administration of this
19 Part.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Amanda Trapp.
DIGEST
SB 151 Original 2024 Regular Session Carter
Present law authorizes the Louisiana Department of Health to promulgate and publish rules
and regulations for the licensing of free-standing birth centers.
Proposed law retains present law and adds additional requirements for the department to
include in its rules.
Proposed law repeals the requirement that free-standing birth centers be located within a
ground-travel-time distance from a general acute care hospital providing obstetric services
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 151
SLS 24RS-277 ORIGINAL
which allows for an emergency cesarean delivery to begin within 30 minutes of the decision
that a cesarean delivery is necessary.
Effective August 1, 2024.
(Amends R.S. 40:2180.25(B)(2))
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.