THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

INTRODUCED BY GREENLEAF, BROWNE, ROBBINS, FOLMER, ERICKSON, RAFFERTY, KITCHEN AND TARTAGLIONE, JANUARY 12, 2011

REFERRED TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, JANUARY 12, 2011  

AN ACT

Requiring information relating to parenting and prenatal

depression, postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis and

other emotional trauma counseling and screening to be

provided to a pregnant woman; and providing for the powers

and duties of the Department of Health.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Short title.

This act shall be known and may be cited as the Prenatal and

Postpartum Counseling and Screening Act.

Section 2.  Counseling information and screening.

(a)  Duty to provide.--A hospital, birthing center,

physician, nurse-midwife or midwife who provides prenatal care

to a pregnant woman during gestation or at delivery of an infant

shall:

(1)  Provide the woman with a fact sheet that includes

common symptoms of the medical conditions of prenatal

depression, postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis

and for emotional traumas associated with pregnancy and

parenting. The fact sheet shall present, in a prominent

place, the following statement:

Prenatal depression, postpartum depression and postpartum

psychosis are serious medical conditions that require a

physician's evaluation and recommendations for treatment.

If you are suffering from any of the signs and symptoms

of these conditions, you should immediately inform your

treating physician or psychiatric physician.

(2)  Provide the woman with a resource list of the names,

addresses and telephone numbers of professional organizations

that provide prenatal counseling, postpartum counseling and

assistance to parents.

(3)  Screen the woman for postpartum depression symptoms

prior to discharge from the birthing facility and at the

first few postnatal check-up visits.

(4)  Document in the patient's record that the patient

received the information described in paragraph (1).

(5)  Retain the documentation for at least three years in

the hospital's, birthing center's, physician's, nurse-

midwife's or midwife's records.

(b)  Resources to be included.--The information under

subsection (a) shall include resources a pregnant woman may

contact to receive treatment, counseling and assistance for the

medical conditions of prenatal depression, postpartum depression

and postpartum psychosis and for emotional traumas associated

with pregnancy and parenting.

(c)  Presumption of compliance.--A hospital, birthing center,

physician, nurse-midwife or midwife who provides prenatal care

to a woman during gestation or at delivery is presumed to have

complied with this section if the woman received prior prenatal

care from another hospital, birthing center, physician, nurse-

midwife or midwife in this Commonwealth during the same

pregnancy.

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

The Department of Health shall:

(1)  Adopt and promulgate rules and regulations if

necessary to carry out the purposes and provisions of this

act.

(2)  Enforce this act and the rules and regulations

promulgated under this act.

(3)  Make available on the department's Internet website

a printable list of professional organizations that provide

pregnancy counseling and assistance to parents, along with a

fact sheet and the statement as referenced in section 2(a)

(1).

(4)  Update the list required under paragraph (3) on a

monthly basis.

Section 4.  Effective date.

This act shall take effect in 60 days.