HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3152        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1971

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Liz Miranda

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to conducting fetal and infant mortality review.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Liz Miranda

5th Suffolk

1/17/2019

Mayor Martin J. Walsh

 

1/18/2019

Joseph A. Boncore

First Suffolk and Middlesex

2/1/2019

Daniel R. Cullinane

12th Suffolk

2/1/2019

Mindy Domb

3rd Hampshire

2/1/2019

Nika C. Elugardo

15th Suffolk

1/30/2019

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf

17th Worcester

1/28/2019

Rebecca L. Rausch

Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex

1/30/2019


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3152        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1971

By Ms. Miranda of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1971) of Liz Miranda and others for legislation to authorize the department of Public Health to conduct fetal and infant mortality reviews.  Public Health.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

 

An Act relative to conducting fetal and infant mortality review.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 38 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 2A the following section: -

Section 2B. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings: -

“Authorized local health agency,” shall mean a health board, department, or other governmental entity that is authorized by the department of public health to receive timely data relative to fetal and infant deaths for assessing, planning, improving and monitoring the service systems and community resources that support child and maternal health.

“Department,” the department of public health.

(b) The department shall establish a process for designating authorized local health agencies. This process may include reasonable criteria regarding the level of expertise, workforce capacity, or organizational capacity. Authorized local health agencies shall be authorized to conduct in-depth fetal infant mortality review of each individual infant and fetal death occurring within their jurisdiction, in order to identify local factors associated with fetal and infant deaths and inform public health policy programs. For each case of fetal or infant death to be reviewed, authorized local health agencies are hereby authorized to collect relevant data from a variety of sources, which may include physician and hospital records in addition to relevant community program records. Authorized local health agencies are authorized to collect, and the department is authorized to provide, timely access to vital records and other data reasonably necessary for fetal and infant mortality review. The department may issue additional guidance through policy or regulation, consistent with this section, regarding the process for conducting fetal infant mortality reviews by authorized local health agencies, which may include guidance from the National Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Program.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage.