Legislation for Pennsylvania

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  1. S.B. 151, Senate Bill 151, the Prenatal and Postpartum Counseling and Screening Act, was introduced on January 30, 2009. State Senator Stewart Greenleaf (R-Montgomery) sponsored this bill along with eleven other cosponsors. This bill requires a hospital, birthing center, physician, nurse-midwife or midwife to provide to pregnant women, or at delivery, a fact sheet that includes common symptoms of the medical conditions of prenatal depression, postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis and for emotional traumas associated with pregnancy and parenting. Currently, it is being considered in the Public Health and Welfare Committee. Status: Pending
  2. H.B. 1122, House Bill 1122, the Prenatal and Postpartum Counseling Act, was introduced on March 26, 2009. With 20 cosponsors, State Representative Vanessa Brown (D-Philadelphia) sponsored this bill, which is very similar to the bill Senator Greenleaf introduced in the Senate. It would require that a hospital, birthing center, neonatal intensive care unit, pediatric ward, pediatric intensive care unit, physician, nurse-midwife or midwife who provides prenatal care to a pregnant woman during gestation or at delivery of an infant or provides health care to a child up to one year of age to provide the woman with a fact sheet that includes common symptoms of the medical conditions of prenatal depression, postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis and for emotional traumas associated with pregnancy and parenting The facilities would also screen the woman for postpartum depression symptoms prior to discharge from the birthing facility and at the infant's three-month, six-month, nine-month and twelve-month checkups. The Department of Health would adopt and promulgate rules and regulations necessary to carry out the purposes and provisions of this act. Currently, it is being considered in the Health and Human Services Committee. Status: Pending