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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 192.0022(a)(1), Health and Safety Code, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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(1) "Stillbirth" means an unintended, intrauterine |
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fetal death occurring in this state [after a gestational age of not |
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less than 20 completed weeks]. |
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SECTION 2. Section 192.0022, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended by amending Subsections (b), (c), (g), and (h) and adding |
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Subsections (d-1) and (h-1) to read as follows: |
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(b) The person who is required to file a fetal death |
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certificate under Section 193.002, on filing of any required fetal |
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death certificate or if otherwise involved in the disposition of |
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the stillborn child's remains, shall advise the parent or parents |
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of a stillborn child: |
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(1) that a parent may, but is not required to, request |
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the preparation of a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth; |
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(2) that a parent may obtain a certificate of birth |
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resulting in stillbirth by contacting the vital statistics unit to |
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request the certificate and paying the required fee; and |
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(3) regarding the way or ways in which a parent may |
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contact the vital statistics unit to request the certificate. |
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(c) A parent may provide a name for a stillborn child on the |
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request for a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth. If the |
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requesting parent does not wish to provide a name, the vital |
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statistics unit shall fill in the certificate with the name "baby |
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boy" or "baby girl" and the last name of the parent. [The name of |
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the stillborn child provided on or later added by amendment to the |
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certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth shall be the same name |
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as placed on the original or amended fetal death certificate.] |
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(d-1) The department shall issue a certificate of birth |
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resulting in stillbirth at the request of a parent of the stillborn |
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child. |
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(g) On issuance of a certificate of birth resulting in |
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stillbirth to a parent who has requested the certificate as |
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provided by this section, the vital statistics unit shall file an |
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exact copy of the certificate with the local registrar of the |
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registration district in which the stillbirth occurred. [The local |
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registrar shall file the certificate of birth resulting in |
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stillbirth with the fetal death certificate.] |
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(h) A parent may request the vital statistics unit to issue |
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a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth without regard to |
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the date on which the birth resulting in stillbirth occurred [fetal |
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death certificate was issued]. |
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(h-1) A certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth is not |
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a fetal death certificate for purposes of Section 193.002, and the |
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issuance of a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth under |
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this section does not affect the issuance of a fetal death |
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certificate under Section 193.002. |
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SECTION 3. Section 192.0022(d), Health and Safety Code, is |
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repealed. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |