Bill > S2398

This bill aims to improve the well-being of new mothers and infants in several ways: 1) It defines "postpartum psychosis" and "postpartum depression" to provide clarity on these perinatal mental health conditions. 2) It requires the Department of Public Health to create a free, comprehensive digital resource center on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and mandates that healthcare providers and organizations serving perinatal individuals inform them about this resource. 3) It requires that female defendants who have given birth within 12 months prior to the crime be screened for perinatal psychiatric complications, and that any examinations of such defendants be conducted by an expert in reproductive psychiatry. 4) It requires that persons committed to treatment facilities due to mental illness related to a perinatal psychiatric complication receive a diagnosis and treatment plan developed in consultation with a reproductive psychiatry expert, and that additional services like parenting assessment and therapy be made available if appropriate. 5) It establishes procedures for placing such individuals on outpatient status, including requirements that the treatment plan be developed with input from a reproductive psychiatry expert. 6) It allows for resentencing in cases where the defendant was suffering from an undiagnosed or untreated perinatal psychiatric complication that substantially affected their criminal conduct. 7) It specifies that mitigating circumstances in capital cases include the defendant suffering from mental illness related to a perinatal psychiatric complication.

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https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S2398