Texas 2017 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1599 Introduced / Bill

Filed 03/09/2017

                    85R10220 AJZ-D
 By: Miles S.B. No. 1599


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to maternal mortality reporting and investigation
 information.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Chapter 1001, Health and Safety Code, is amended
 by adding Subchapter J to read as follows:
 SUBCHAPTER J.  MATERNAL MORTALITY REPORTING AND INVESTIGATION
 INFORMATION
 Sec. 1001.241.  MATERNAL MORTALITY REPORTING AND
 INVESTIGATION INFORMATION. (a) The department shall post on the
 department's Internet website information regarding the systematic
 protocol for pregnancy-related death investigations and the best
 practices for reporting pregnancy-related deaths to the medical
 examiner or justice of the peace of each county, as applicable.
 (b)  The information provided under Subsection (a) must
 include guidelines for:
 (1)  determining when a comprehensive toxicology
 screening should be performed on a person whose death was related to
 pregnancy;
 (2)  determining when a death should be investigated by
 a medical examiner or justice of the peace under Chapter 49, Code of
 Criminal Procedure; and
 (3)  correctly completing the death certificate of a
 person whose death was related to pregnancy.
 (c)  The executive commissioner shall adopt rules as
 necessary to implement this section.
 SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.