86R1300 JG-D
By: Leach H.B. No. 1340
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 192.0022(a)(1), Health and Safety Code,
is amended to read as follows:
(1) "Stillbirth" means an unintended, intrauterine
fetal death occurring in this state [after a gestational age of not
less than 20 completed weeks].
SECTION 2. Section 192.0022, Health and Safety Code, is
amended by amending Subsections (b), (c), (g), and (h) and adding
Subsections (d-1) and (h-1) to read as follows:
(b) The person who is required to file a fetal death
certificate under Section 193.002, on filing of any required fetal
death certificate or if otherwise involved in the disposition of
the stillborn child's remains, shall advise the parent or parents
of a stillborn child:
(1) that a parent may, but is not required to, request
the preparation of a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth;
(2) that a parent may obtain a certificate of birth
resulting in stillbirth by contacting the vital statistics unit to
request the certificate and paying the required fee; and
(3) regarding the way or ways in which a parent may
contact the vital statistics unit to request the certificate.
(c) A parent may provide a name for a stillborn child on the
request for a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth. If the
requesting parent does not wish to provide a name, the vital
statistics unit shall fill in the certificate with the name "baby
boy" or "baby girl" and the last name of the parent. [The name of
the stillborn child provided on or later added by amendment to the
certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth shall be the same name
as placed on the original or amended fetal death certificate.]
(d-1) The department shall issue a certificate of birth
resulting in stillbirth at the request of a parent of the stillborn
child.
(g) On issuance of a certificate of birth resulting in
stillbirth to a parent who has requested the certificate as
provided by this section, the vital statistics unit shall file an
exact copy of the certificate with the local registrar of the
registration district in which the stillbirth occurred. [The
local registrar shall file the certificate of birth resulting in
stillbirth with the fetal death certificate.]
(h) A parent may request the vital statistics unit to issue
a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth without regard to
the date on which the birth resulting in stillbirth occurred [fetal
death certificate was issued].
(h-1) A certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth is not
a fetal death certificate for purposes of Section 193.002, and the
issuance of a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth under
this section does not affect the issuance of a fetal death
certificate under Section 193.002.
SECTION 3. Section 192.0022(d), Health and Safety Code, is
repealed.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.