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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to perinatal palliative care provided by certain |
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hospitals, a perinatal palliative care grant program, and a |
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perinatal palliative care hospital recognition program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subtitle G, Title 4, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended by adding Chapter 328 to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 328. PERINATAL PALLIATIVE CARE SERVICES |
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Sec. 328.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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(1) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services |
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Commission. |
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(2) "Executive commissioner" means the executive |
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commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission. |
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(3) "Grant program" means the perinatal palliative |
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care grant program established under Section 328.003. |
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(4) "Hospital" means a hospital licensed under Chapter |
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241. |
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(5) "Perinatal palliative care" means the provision of |
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supportive care to reduce the suffering of parents and family |
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members following a perinatal death or stillbirth. |
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(6) "Perinatal palliative care cooling device" means a |
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medical device, including a blanket or cradle, with a cooling |
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mechanism to slow naturally occurring changes to the body following |
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death. |
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(7) "Recognition program" means the hospital |
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recognition program established under Section 328.004. |
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Sec. 328.002. PERINATAL PALLIATIVE CARE SERVICES REQUIRED |
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IN CERTAIN HOSPITALS. A hospital assigned a maternal level of care |
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designation under Section 241.182 shall, following a perinatal |
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death or stillbirth, make available to the expectant parents and |
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family members: |
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(1) perinatal palliative care counseling; and |
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(2) a perinatal palliative care cooling device. |
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Sec. 328.003. PERINATAL PALLIATIVE CARE GRANT PROGRAM. (a) |
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The executive commissioner by rule shall establish and the |
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commission shall administer a perinatal palliative care grant |
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program to improve the access to and quality of perinatal |
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palliative care in this state. The commission may award grants to |
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hospitals assigned a maternal level of care designation under |
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Section 241.182 for the hospital's provision of perinatal |
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palliative care. |
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(b) A hospital awarded money under the grant program may use |
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the money only for the reasonable costs, as determined by |
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commission rule, of: |
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(1) training hospital personnel who provide maternal |
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care on interacting with parents and family members in a |
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considerate and respectful manner following a perinatal death or |
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stillbirth; and |
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(2) obtaining and maintaining a perinatal palliative |
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care cooling device and training personnel on use of the device. |
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(c) The executive commissioner by rule shall establish |
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eligibility criteria and a scoring system for awarding grants under |
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the grant program to hospitals assigned a maternal level of care |
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designation under Section 241.182. |
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(d) The commission may accept gifts, grants, and donations |
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from any source for the purposes of the grant program. |
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Sec. 328.004. HOSPITAL RECOGNITION PROGRAM. The executive |
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commissioner by rule, in collaboration with the Palliative Care |
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Interdisciplinary Advisory Council established under Chapter 118, |
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shall: |
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(1) develop and implement a program to recognize |
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hospitals assigned a maternal level of care designation under |
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Section 241.182 that provide perinatal palliative care training to |
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hospital personnel; and |
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(2) adopt criteria for awarding recognition to a |
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hospital under the recognition program. |
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SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human |
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Services Commission shall adopt rules to implement Chapter 328, |
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Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |