87R1475 JG-D
 
  By: Leach H.B. No. 1343
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 192.0022(a)(1), Health and Safety Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
               (1)  "Stillbirth" means an unintended, intrauterine
  fetal death occurring in this state [after a gestational age of not
  less than 20 completed weeks].
         SECTION 2.  Section 192.0022, Health and Safety Code, is
  amended by amending Subsections (b), (c), (g), and (h) and adding
  Subsections (d-1) and (h-1) to read as follows:
         (b)  The person who is required to file a fetal death
  certificate under Section 193.002, on filing of any required fetal
  death certificate or if otherwise involved in the disposition of
  the stillborn child's remains, shall advise the parent or parents
  of a stillborn child:
               (1)  that a parent may, but is not required to, request
  the preparation of a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth;
               (2)  that a parent may obtain a certificate of birth
  resulting in stillbirth by contacting the vital statistics unit to
  request the certificate and paying the required fee; and
               (3)  regarding the way or ways in which a parent may
  contact the vital statistics unit to request the certificate.
         (c)  A parent may provide a name for a stillborn child on the
  request for a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth. If the
  requesting parent does not wish to provide a name, the vital
  statistics unit shall fill in the certificate with the name "baby
  boy" or "baby girl" and the last name of the parent. [The name of
  the stillborn child provided on or later added by amendment to the
  certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth shall be the same name
  as placed on the original or amended fetal death certificate.]
         (d-1)  The department shall issue a certificate of birth
  resulting in stillbirth at the request of a parent of the stillborn
  child.
         (g)  On issuance of a certificate of birth resulting in
  stillbirth to a parent who has requested the certificate as
  provided by this section, the vital statistics unit shall file an
  exact copy of the certificate with the local registrar of the
  registration district in which the stillbirth occurred. [The local
  registrar shall file the certificate of birth resulting in
  stillbirth with the fetal death certificate.]
         (h)  A parent may request the vital statistics unit to issue
  a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth without regard to
  the date on which the birth resulting in stillbirth occurred [fetal
  death certificate was issued].
         (h-1)  A certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth is not
  a fetal death certificate for purposes of Section 193.002, and the
  issuance of a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth under
  this section does not affect the issuance of a fetal death
  certificate under Section 193.002.
         SECTION 3.  Section 192.0022(d), Health and Safety Code, is
  repealed.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.