89R2948 KKR-D     By: Plesa H.B. No. 2058       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   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.