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

6The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7hereby enacts as follows:

8Section 1.  Short title.

9This act shall be known and may be cited as the Prenatal and
10Postpartum Counseling and Screening Act.

11Section 2.  Counseling information and screening.

12(a)  Duty to provide.--A hospital, birthing center,
13physician, nurse-midwife or midwife who provides prenatal care
14to a pregnant woman during gestation or at delivery of an infant
15shall:

16(1)  Provide the woman with a fact sheet that includes
17common symptoms of the medical conditions of prenatal
18depression, postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis
19and for emotional traumas associated with pregnancy and

1parenting. The fact sheet shall present, in a prominent
2place, the following statement:

3Prenatal depression, postpartum depression and postpartum
4psychosis are serious medical conditions that require a
5physician's evaluation and recommendations for treatment.
6If you are suffering from any of the signs and symptoms
7of these conditions, you should immediately inform your
8treating physician or psychiatric physician.

9(2)  Provide the woman with a resource list of the names,
10addresses and telephone numbers of professional organizations
11that provide prenatal counseling, postpartum counseling and
12assistance to parents.

13(3)  Screen the woman for postpartum depression symptoms
14prior to discharge from the birthing facility and at the
15first few postnatal check-up visits.

16(4)  Document in the patient's record that the patient
17received the information described in paragraph (1).

18(5)  Retain the documentation for at least three years in
19the hospital's, birthing center's, physician's, nurse-
20midwife's or midwife's records.

21(b)  Resources to be included.--The information under
22subsection (a) shall include resources a pregnant woman may
23contact to receive treatment, counseling and assistance for the
24medical conditions of prenatal depression, postpartum depression
25and postpartum psychosis and for emotional traumas associated
26with pregnancy and parenting.

27(c)  Presumption of compliance.--A hospital, birthing center,
28physician, nurse-midwife or midwife who provides prenatal care
29to a woman during gestation or at delivery is presumed to have
30complied with this section if the woman received prior prenatal

1care from another hospital, birthing center, physician, nurse-
2midwife or midwife in this Commonwealth during the same
3pregnancy.

4Section 3.  Powers and duties of the Department of Health.

5The Department of Health shall:

6(1)  Adopt and promulgate rules and regulations if
7necessary to carry out the purposes and provisions of this
8act.

9(2)  Enforce this act and the rules and regulations
10promulgated under this act.

11(3)  Make available on the department's Internet website
12a printable list of professional organizations that provide
13pregnancy counseling and assistance to parents, along with a
14fact sheet and the statement as referenced in section 2(a)
15(1).

16(4)  Update the list required under paragraph (3) on a
17monthly basis.

18Section 4.  Effective date.

19This act shall take effect in 60 days.