Bill requiring perinatal palliative care at certain hospitals

The text as introduced · 544 words

89R2948 KKR-D

By: Plesa
H.B. No. 2058

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to perinatal palliative care provided by certain

hospitals, a perinatal palliative care grant program, and a

perinatal palliative care hospital recognition program.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subtitle G, Title 4, Health and Safety Code, is

amended by adding Chapter 328 to read as follows:

CHAPTER 328. PERINATAL PALLIATIVE CARE SERVICES

Sec. 328.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:

(1) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services

Commission.

(2) "Executive commissioner" means the executive

commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission.

(3) "Grant program" means the perinatal palliative

care grant program established under Section 328.003.

(4) "Hospital" means a hospital licensed under Chapter

241.

(5) "Perinatal palliative care" means the provision of

supportive care to reduce the suffering of parents and family

members following a perinatal death or stillbirth.

(6) "Perinatal palliative care cooling device" means a

medical device, including a blanket or cradle, with a cooling

mechanism to slow naturally occurring changes to the body following

death.

(7) "Recognition program" means the hospital

recognition program established under Section 328.004.

Sec. 328.002. PERINATAL PALLIATIVE CARE SERVICES REQUIRED

IN CERTAIN HOSPITALS. A hospital assigned a maternal level of care

designation under Section 241.182 shall, following a perinatal

death or stillbirth, make available to the expectant parents and

family members:

(1) perinatal palliative care counseling; and

(2) a perinatal palliative care cooling device.

Sec. 328.003. PERINATAL PALLIATIVE CARE GRANT PROGRAM. (a)

The executive commissioner by rule shall establish and the

commission shall administer a perinatal palliative care grant

program to improve the access to and quality of perinatal

palliative care in this state. The commission may award grants to

hospitals assigned a maternal level of care designation under

Section 241.182 for the hospital's provision of perinatal

palliative care.

(b) A hospital awarded money under the grant program may use

the money only for the reasonable costs, as determined by

commission rule, of:

(1) training hospital personnel who provide maternal

care on interacting with parents and family members in a

considerate and respectful manner following a perinatal death or

stillbirth; and

(2) obtaining and maintaining a perinatal palliative

care cooling device and training personnel on use of the device.

(c) The executive commissioner by rule shall establish

eligibility criteria and a scoring system for awarding grants under

the grant program to hospitals assigned a maternal level of care

designation under Section 241.182.

(d) The commission may accept gifts, grants, and donations

from any source for the purposes of the grant program.

Sec. 328.004. HOSPITAL RECOGNITION PROGRAM. The executive

commissioner by rule, in collaboration with the Palliative Care

Interdisciplinary Advisory Council established under Chapter 118,

shall:

(1) develop and implement a program to recognize

hospitals assigned a maternal level of care designation under

Section 241.182 that provide perinatal palliative care training to

hospital personnel; and

(2) adopt criteria for awarding recognition to a

hospital under the recognition program.

SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date

of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human

Services Commission shall adopt rules to implement Chapter 328,

Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.