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