| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to statewide initiatives to improve maternal and newborn |
|
|
health for women with opioid use disorder. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Chapter 34, Health and Safety Code, is amended by |
|
|
adding Section 34.0158 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 34.0158. OPIOID USE DISORDER MATERNAL AND NEWBORN |
|
|
HEALTH INITIATIVES. (a) The department, in collaboration with the |
|
|
task force, shall develop and implement initiatives to: |
|
|
(1) improve screening procedures to better identify |
|
|
and care for women with opioid use disorder; |
|
|
(2) improve continuity of care for women with opioid |
|
|
use disorder by ensuring that health care providers refer the women |
|
|
to appropriate treatment and verify the women receive the |
|
|
treatment; |
|
|
(3) optimize health care provided to pregnant women |
|
|
with opioid use disorder; |
|
|
(4) optimize health care provided to newborns with |
|
|
neonatal abstinence syndrome by encouraging maternal engagement; |
|
|
(5) increase access to medication-assisted treatment |
|
|
for women with opioid use disorder during pregnancy and the |
|
|
postpartum period; and |
|
|
(6) prevent opioid use disorder by reducing the number |
|
|
of opioid drugs prescribed before, during, and following a |
|
|
delivery. |
|
|
(b) Before implementing the initiatives described by |
|
|
Subsection (a), the department may conduct a limited pilot program |
|
|
in one or more geographic areas of this state to implement the |
|
|
initiatives at hospitals licensed under Chapter 241 with expertise |
|
|
in caring for newborns with neonatal abstinence syndrome or related |
|
|
conditions. The pilot program must conclude not later than March 1, |
|
|
2020. This subsection expires September 1, 2021. |
|
|
(c) Using existing resources, the department, in |
|
|
collaboration with the task force, shall promote and facilitate the |
|
|
use among health care providers in this state of maternal health |
|
|
informational materials, including tools and procedures related to |
|
|
best practices in maternal health to improve obstetrical care for |
|
|
women with opioid use disorder. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2020, the Department |
|
|
of State Health Services shall prepare and submit to the presiding |
|
|
officers of the standing committees of each house of the |
|
|
legislature with primary jurisdiction over public health a written |
|
|
report that evaluates the success of the initiatives developed and |
|
|
implemented under Section 34.0158, Health and Safety Code, as added |
|
|
by this Act, and, if applicable, the pilot program conducted under |
|
|
that section. The report submitted under this section may be |
|
|
submitted with the report required under Section 34.0156, Health |
|
|
and Safety Code. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |