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AB-2417 Maternal mental health: bereaved mothers.(2019-2020)



Current Version: 02/18/20 - Introduced

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AB2417:v99#DOCUMENT


CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 2417

Introduced by Assembly Member Patterson

February 18, 2020

An act to amend Sections 123616, 123617, and 123640 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to maternal health.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 2417, as introduced, Patterson. Maternal mental health: bereaved mothers.
Existing law establishes the State Department of Public Health and sets forth its powers and duties, including, but not limited to, implementation and administration of a community‑based system of perinatal care for eligible women and infants.
Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to license and regulate specified health facilities, including a general acute care hospital, a special hospital, and other types of specialized facilities. Existing law defines a perinatal unit as a maternity and newborn service of a hospital for the provision of care during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum and neonatal periods, as specified. Existing law requires a general acute care hospital or special hospital that has a perinatal unit to develop and implement a program relating to maternal mental health conditions including, but not limited to, postpartum depression. Existing law requires that program to include, among other things, education and information about maternal mental health conditions for women, families, and hospital perinatal unit employees, as specified.
This bill would require the education and information program to be available to bereaved mothers. The bill would define a bereaved mother as one who has experienced a miscarriage, stillbirth, or fatal fetal diagnosis.
Existing law requires a licensed health care practitioner who provides prenatal or postpartum care for a patient to ensure that the mother is offered screening or is appropriately screened for maternal mental health conditions.
This bill would specifically include a bereaved mother as a patient for those purposes.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 123616 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

123616.
 For the purposes of this article, the following terms have the following meanings:
(a) “Bereaved mother” means a mother who has experienced a miscarriage, stillbirth, or fatal fetal diagnosis.

(a)

(b) “Maternal mental health condition” means a mental health condition that occurs during pregnancy or during the postpartum period and includes, but is not limited to, postpartum depression.

(b)

(c) “Perinatal unit” is a maternity and newborn service of a hospital for the provision of care during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum and neonatal periods with appropriate staff, space, equipment, and supplies.

SEC. 2.

 Section 123617 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

123617.
 The program developed pursuant to this article shall include all of the following:
(a) Education and information for postpartum women and women, including bereaved mothers, and their families about maternal mental health conditions, posthospital treatment options, and community resources.
(b) Education and information for hospital employees regularly assigned to work in the perinatal unit, including, as appropriate, registered nurses and social workers, about maternal mental health conditions.
(c) Any other service the hospital determines should be included in the program to provide optimal patient care.

SEC. 3.

 Section 123640 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

123640.
 (a) By July 1, 2019, a licensed health care practitioner who provides prenatal or postpartum care for a patient shall ensure that the mother is offered screening or is appropriately screened for maternal mental health conditions. This section includes a patient who is a bereaved mother.
(b) This section shall not apply to a licensed health care practitioner when providing emergency services or care, as defined in Section 1317.1.
(c) This section does not preclude any licensed or certified provider acting within his or her the provider’s scope of practice from screening for maternal mental health conditions.
(d) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “Bereaved mother” means a mother who has experienced a miscarriage, stillbirth, or fatal fetal diagnosis while a patient of the health care practitioner.

(1)

(2) “Maternal mental health condition” means a mental health condition that occurs during pregnancy or during the postpartum period and includes, but is not limited to, postpartum depression.

(2)

(3) “Health care practitioner” means a physician and surgeon, naturopathic doctor, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, nurse midwife, or a midwife licensed pursuant to Division 2 (commencing with Section 500) of the Business and Professions Code or an initiative act referred to in that division and who is acting within his or her the health care practitioner’s scope of practice.