HB256--MATERNALCARE
SPONSOR: Bosley
ThisbillrequirestheDepartmentofHealthandSeniorServicesto
establishafetalandinfantmortalityreviewprocessinwhichall
localpublichealthagenciesmayvoluntarilyparticipate. Alocal
publichealthagencythatparticipatesinthefetalandinfant
mortalityreviewprocessestablishedbytheDepartmentwould
annuallyinvestigate,track,andreviewatleast20%ofthe
jurisdiction's casesofterminfantswhowerebornfollowinglabor
withtheoutcomeofintrapartumstillbirth,earlyneonataldeath,
orpostneonataldeath,focusingondemographicgroupsthatare
disproportionately impactedbyinfantdeath.Ajurisdictionthat
haslessthanfivedeathsinayearmustinvestigateatleastone
death.TheDepartmentmustalsoprovidegriefcounselingto
survivingfamilymembers.
Thisbillcreatesthe"FetalandInfantMortalityReviewFund".
TheFundwillconsistofmoneyappropriatedbytheGeneral
Assembly,aswellasgifts,contributions, grants,orbequests.
Currently,theDepartmenthasa"Pregnancy-AssociatedMortality
ReviewBoard"whichcollectsdata,consultswithexpertsand
analyzescasesregardingchildmortality. TheBoardalsoexamines
racialandsocialdisparitiesinmaternaldeaths.TheBoard
compilesthedataandcreatesareportthatissenttotheDirector
oftheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention. TheBoardalso
reportsthefindingstopolicymakers.
Thisbilladdsadditionaldutiesregardingtrackingandexamining
disparitiesexperiencedbylesbian,bisexual,transgender,
intersex,andgender-nonconformingindividualsandreporting
findings,totheextentpossible. Thisbillalsorequiresthe
Boardtoconsultwithpertinentsurvivingfamilymembersorsupport
peoplepresentwithdirectknowledgeof,orinvolvementin,the
event,includingthepatientincasesofseverematernalmorbidity.
ThebillalsorequirestheDepartmenttocontractwithprograms
thattraincertifiednursemidwivesandprogramsthattrain
professionalmidwivesinaccordancewiththeglobalstandardsfor
midwiferyeducationandtheinternationaldefinitionoftheterm
"midwife"asestablishedbytheInternationalConfederationof
Midwivesinordertoincreasethenumberofstudentsreceiving
qualityeducationandtrainingasacertifiednursemidwifeorasa
professionalmidwife. Thisbillcreatesthe"MidwiferyEducation
Fund"tobeusedfortheseprovisions.
ThisbillissimilartoHB1600(2024)andHB1192(2023).