HLS 25RS-953 ORIGINAL
2025 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 478
BY REPRESENTATIVE HORTON
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
HEALTH/SCHOOL CLINICS: Requires certain information about pregnancy, adoption,
and neonatal care to be posted and distributed at school health centers in public high
schools and student health centers on public postsecondary education institution
campuses
1 AN ACT
2To enact R.S. 17:3384 and R.S. 40:31.4, relative to health information; to provide relative
3 to school heath centers in public high schools; to provide relative to student health
4 centers on public postsecondary education institution campuses; to provide for
5 requirements of the Louisiana Department of Health; to require the department to
6 produce and distribute certain materials; to provide for requirements of the staff of
7 centers; and to provide for related matters.
8Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. R.S. 17:3384 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
10 §3384. Pregnancy information; student health centers
11 A.(1) Any student health center on the campus of a public postsecondary
12 education institution shall display signs provided by the Louisiana Department of
13 Health in the prescribed locations and in the manner provided for in this Subsection.
14 (a) The text of each sign shall read as follows:
15 "Pregnant? Help Is Available for You and Your Baby!"
16 (b) A link to the department's pregnancy information shall be printed on the
17 sign.
18 (2) The department shall design and produce the signs. In the designing of
19 the signs, the department shall incorporate color graphics. The department shall
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HB NO. 478
1 print each sign on durable signage material that is at least sixteen inches by twenty
2 inches, and the text shall be printed in a large, easily readable font.
3 (3) Student health center staff shall display the signs in each patient
4 admission area, patient waiting room, and patient consultation room.
5 B.(1) Any student health center on the campus of a public postsecondary
6 education institution shall make pregnancy help booklets available to each patient
7 at no cost.
8 (2) The department shall produce and provide such booklets, which shall, at
9 a minimum, include the following information:
10 (a) A link to the department's pregnancy information.
11 (b) A statement that more detailed information, including a list of all public
12 and private agencies that can provide assistance, can be found at the department's
13 website.
14 (c) Information that there are public and private agencies willing and able
15 to help a woman carry a child to term, and to assist a mother and her child after the
16 child is born, whether the mother chooses to parent the child or to place the child for
17 adoption.
18 (d) A description of services available to pregnant and parenting women
19 from private and public agencies including but not limited to medical services,
20 financial assistance, counseling, materials and supplies, neonatal care, and parenting
21 classes.
22 (e) Information that, pursuant to R.S. 14:87.6, it is unlawful for any
23 individual, including a parent of a pregnant minor, to coerce a pregnant minor or
24 pregnant woman to undergo an abortion.
25 (f) Information that infant adoption is an option that can assist a birth mother
26 and provide a positive future for a child and, pursuant to Ch.C. Art. 1283.2, that the
27 law authorizes adoptive parents to reimburse costs of prenatal care, childbirth, and
28 neonatal care to the biological mother.
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1 (g) Information that provides medically accurate anatomical and
2 physiological characteristics of an unborn child at a minimum of two week
3 gestational increments with the most current technology available to the department
4 depicting the development of such child. Such information shall be objective,
5 nonjudgmental, and designed to convey only accurate scientific information about
6 an unborn child at various gestational ages.
7 (3) The department is prohibited from printing text in the booklets that
8 encourages or promotes elective abortion.
9 (4) Student health center staff shall make the booklets available in each
10 patient admission area, patient waiting room, and patient consultation room. Staff
11 shall offer a booklet to each pregnant patient.
12 (5) The department shall post on its website information on how to request
13 the booklets.
14 (6) The department shall promulgate rules and regulations as necessary in
15 accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act relative to the production and
16 distribution of the booklets.
17 Section 2. R.S. 40:31.4 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
18 §31.4. Pregnancy information; health centers in schools
19 A.(1) Any school health center as provided in R.S. 40:31.3 in a public high
20 school shall display signs provided by the Louisiana Department of Health in the
21 prescribed locations and in the manner provided for in this Subsection.
22 (a) The text of each sign shall read as follows:
23 "Pregnant? Help Is Available for You and Your Baby!"
24 (b) A link to the department's pregnancy information shall be printed on the
25 sign.
26 (2) The department shall design and produce the signs. In the designing of
27 the signs, the department shall incorporate color graphics. The department shall
28 print each sign on durable signage material that is at least sixteen inches by twenty
29 inches and the text shall be printed in a large, easily readable font.
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1 (3) School health center staff shall display the signs in each patient
2 admission area, patient waiting room, and patient consultation room.
3 B.(1) Any school health center as provided in R.S. 40:31.3 in a public high
4 school shall make pregnancy help booklets available to each patient at no cost.
5 (2) The department shall produce and provide such booklets, which shall, at
6 a minimum, include the following information:
7 (a) A link to the department's pregnancy information.
8 (b) A statement that more detailed information, including a list of all public
9 and private agencies that can provide assistance, can be found at the department's
10 website.
11 (c) Information that there are public and private agencies willing and able
12 to help a woman carry a child to term, and to assist a mother and her child after the
13 child is born, whether the mother chooses to parent the child or to place the child for
14 adoption.
15 (d) A description of services available to pregnant and parenting women
16 from private and public agencies including but not limited to medical services,
17 financial assistance, counseling, materials and supplies, neonatal care, and parenting
18 classes.
19 (e) Information that, pursuant to R.S. 14:87.6, it is unlawful for any
20 individual, including a parent of a pregnant minor, to coerce a pregnant minor or
21 pregnant woman to undergo an abortion.
22 (f) Information that infant adoption is an option that can assist a birth mother
23 and provide a positive future for a child and, pursuant to Ch.C. Art. 1283.2, that the
24 law authorizes adoptive parents to reimburse costs of prenatal care, childbirth, and
25 neonatal care to the biological mother.
26 (g) Information that provides medically accurate anatomical and
27 physiological characteristics of an unborn child at a minimum of two week
28 gestational increments with the most current technology available to the department
29 depicting the development of such child. Such information shall be objective,
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HB NO. 478
1 nonjudgmental, and designed to convey only accurate scientific information about
2 an unborn child at various gestational ages.
3 (3) The department is prohibited from printing text in the booklets that
4 encourages or promotes elective abortion.
5 (4) School health center staff shall make the booklets available in each
6 patient admission area, patient waiting room, and patient consultation room. Staff
7 shall offer a booklet to each pregnant patient.
8 (5) The department shall post on its website information on how to request
9 the booklets.
10 (6) The department shall promulgate rules and regulations as necessary in
11 accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act relative to the production and
12 distribution of the booklets.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 478 Original 2025 Regular Session Horton
Abstract: Requires certain health and resource information to be posted and made available
to patients at school health centers in public high schools and student health centers
on public postsecondary education campuses.
Present law (R.S. 40:31.3) requires the office of public health (OPH) within the La. Dept.
of Health (LDH), to facilitate the establishment of health centers in schools. Requires
centers be registered with OPH. Prohibits health centers in schools from advocating abortion
in any way. Proposed law retains present law.
Proposed law requires LDH to do the following:
(1)Produce and distribute displays for school health centers in public high schools and
student health centers on public postsecondary education campuses. Requires the
signs to read "Pregnant? Help Is Available for You and Your Baby!" and include a
link to the department's pregnancy website. Requires signs to be at least 16 inches
by 20 inches and the text to be printed in a large, easily readable font.
(2)Produce and distribute booklets for such facilities with certain information, including
information about services available to pregnant women, adoption, and neonatal
care.
(3)Promulgate rules and regulations as necessary for the implementation of proposed
law relative to the production and distribution of booklets in accordance with the
Administrative Procedure Act.
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(4)Post information on its website about how to request booklets.
Proposed law requires staff of the centers to post signs and have booklets available in each
patient admission area, patient waiting room, and patient consultation room. Requires staff
to offer the booklet to each pregnant patient.
(Adds R.S. 17:3384 and R.S. 40:31.4)
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