See other bills
under the
same topic
                                                      PRINTER'S NO. 3425

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 2359 Session of 2008


        INTRODUCED BY KENNEY, K. SMITH, WATSON, REICHLEY, TRUE,
           KAUFFMAN, ROSS, MYERS, BISHOP, MUNDY, FRANKEL, MANN,
           McGEEHAN, BEYER, GOODMAN, SAYLOR, DeLUCA, COHEN, KILLION,
           SIPTROTH, MOYER, PICKETT, YOUNGBLOOD, MURT, HARHAI, RUBLEY
           AND JAMES, MARCH 17, 2008

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,
           MARCH 17, 2008

                                     AN ACT

     1  Requiring information relating to parenting and prenatal
     2     depression, postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis and
     3     other emotional trauma counseling to be provided to a woman
     4     who is pregnant or has just given birth; and providing for
     5     the powers and duties of the Department of Health.

     6     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     7  hereby enacts as follows:
     8  Section 1.  Short title.
     9     This act shall be known and may be cited as the Prenatal and
    10  Postpartum Counseling Act.
    11  Section 2.  Counseling information.
    12     (a)  Duty to provide.--A hospital, birthing center, neonatal
    13  intensive care unit, pediatric ward, pediatric intensive care
    14  unit, physician, nurse-midwife or midwife who provides prenatal
    15  care to a pregnant woman during gestation or at delivery of an
    16  infant or provides health care to a child up to one year of age
    17  shall:


     1         (1)  Provide the woman with a fact sheet that includes
     2     common symptoms of the medical conditions of prenatal
     3     depression, postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis and
     4     for emotional traumas associated with pregnancy and
     5     parenting. The fact sheet shall present, in a prominent
     6     place, information in a patient-friendly format that contains
     7     the following information:
     8         Prenatal depression, postpartum depression, postpartum
     9         psychosis and postpartum anxiety disorders are serious
    10         medical conditions that require a physician's evaluation
    11         and recommendations for treatment. If you are suffering
    12         from any of the signs and symptoms of these conditions,
    13         you should immediately inform your treating physician or
    14         psychiatric physician.
    15         (2)  Provide the woman with a resource list of the names,
    16     addresses and telephone numbers of professional organizations
    17     that provide prenatal and postpartum counseling and
    18     assistance to parents.
    19         (3)  Document in the patient's record that the patient
    20     received the information described in paragraph (1).
    21         (4)  Screen the woman for postpartum depression symptoms
    22     prior to discharge from the birthing facility and at the
    23     infant's three-month, six-month, nine-month and twelve-month
    24     checkups.
    25         (5)  Retain the documentation for at least three years in
    26     the patient records at the hospital, birthing center,
    27     neonatal intensive care unit, pediatric ward or pediatric
    28     intensive care unit.
    29     (b)  Resources to be included.--The information under
    30  subsection (a) shall include a list of entities or agencies that
    20080H2359B3425                  - 2 -     

     1  a woman who is pregnant or has just given birth may contact to
     2  receive treatment, counseling and assistance for the medical
     3  conditions of prenatal depression, postpartum depression or
     4  postpartum psychosis and for emotional traumas associated with
     5  pregnancy and parenting.
     6     (c)  Presumption of compliance.--A hospital, birthing center,
     7  physician, nurse-midwife or midwife who provides prenatal care
     8  to a woman during gestation or at delivery is presumed to have
     9  complied with this section if the woman received prior prenatal
    10  care from another hospital, birthing center, physician, nurse-
    11  midwife or midwife in this Commonwealth during the same
    12  pregnancy.
    13  Section 3.  Powers and duties of Department of Health.
    14     The Department of Health shall:
    15         (1)  Adopt and promulgate rules and regulations necessary
    16     to carry out the purposes and provisions of this act.
    17         (2)  Enforce this act and the rules and regulations
    18     promulgated under this act.
    19         (3)  Make available on the department's Internet website
    20     a printable list of professional organizations that provide
    21     prenatal and postpartum counseling and assistance to parents,
    22     along with a fact sheet and the statement in section 2(a)(1).
    23         (4)  Update the list required under paragraph (3) on a
    24     monthly basis.
    25  Section 20.  Effective date.
    26     This act shall take effect in 60 days.



    B21L35JS/20080H2359B3425         - 3 -