| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to a study on maternal mortality and morbidity among Black |
|
|
women in this state. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. (a) In this section: |
|
|
(1) "Department" means the Department of State Health |
|
|
Services. |
|
|
(2) "Review committee" means the Texas Maternal |
|
|
Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee established under Chapter |
|
|
34, Health and Safety Code. |
|
|
(b) The review committee and the department shall jointly |
|
|
conduct a study to evaluate maternal mortality and morbidity among |
|
|
Black women in this state. In conducting the study, the review |
|
|
committee and department shall: |
|
|
(1) compare maternal mortality and morbidity rates |
|
|
among Black women in this state in relation to maternal mortality |
|
|
and morbidity rates among each other race and ethnicity; |
|
|
(2) compare maternal mortality and morbidity rates |
|
|
among Black women in this state in relation to socioeconomic status |
|
|
and education level; |
|
|
(3) assess the impact of social determinants of |
|
|
health, including an evaluation of data on pregnancy-related |
|
|
deaths, pregnancy-related complications that almost resulted in |
|
|
death, and morbidities, to identify any correlation in that data to |
|
|
women who are uninsured, women who receive health care coverage |
|
|
under Medicaid, and women who receive health care coverage through |
|
|
a private insurer; |
|
|
(4) evaluate the impact of the following health |
|
|
conditions on maternal mortality and morbidity: |
|
|
(A) cardiac health conditions; |
|
|
(B) preeclampsia, eclampsia, and other |
|
|
hypertensive disorders; |
|
|
(C) hemorrhage; |
|
|
(D) obesity; and |
|
|
(E) stress-related health conditions; and |
|
|
(5) assess the extent to which implicit biases held by |
|
|
health care providers against Black individuals affect maternal |
|
|
mortality and morbidity among Black women. |
|
|
(c) Based on the results of the study conducted under this |
|
|
section, the review committee and department shall develop |
|
|
recommendations to address disparities in maternal mortality and |
|
|
morbidity among Black women, including recommendations on: |
|
|
(1) strategies to reduce the incidence of |
|
|
pregnancy-related deaths and severe maternal morbidity; |
|
|
(2) patient outreach and education; |
|
|
(3) health care provider training, including a |
|
|
recommendation on the potential benefit of training on cultural |
|
|
competency and implicit biases against Black individuals; |
|
|
(4) best practices identified as successful in |
|
|
reducing maternal mortality and morbidity; and |
|
|
(5) the implementation in this state of programs |
|
|
operating in other states that have reduced maternal mortality and |
|
|
morbidity rates. |
|
|
(d) Not later than September 1, 2024, the review committee |
|
|
and department shall prepare and submit to the governor, lieutenant |
|
|
governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and appropriate |
|
|
committees of the legislature a written report that summarizes the |
|
|
results of the study and includes the recommendations developed |
|
|
under this section. The report may be consolidated with the |
|
|
biennial report required under Section 34.015, Health and Safety |
|
|
Code. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act expires December 31, 2024. |
|
|
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, 2023. |