PRINTER'S NO. 3425
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 -