Bill > HB255

This bill establishes the "Missouri Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act," which introduces several key provisions aimed at improving maternal health care and addressing racial disparities in medical treatment. The legislation requires hospitals, clinics, and healthcare facilities providing perinatal care to implement comprehensive implicit bias training programs for healthcare providers, which must include identifying unconscious biases, understanding cultural barriers, discussing health inequities, and learning about reproductive justice. Healthcare providers must complete an initial training and then take refresher courses every two years. The bill also mandates that the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services track and publish data on severe maternal morbidity and pregnancy-related deaths, disaggregating this information by racial and ethnic identity to help identify and address disparities in maternal health outcomes. Additionally, the bill modifies death certificate procedures to include optional documentation of a decedent's pregnancy status and requires hospitals to provide patients with written information about their healthcare rights, including the right to participate in medical decisions and be free from discrimination. The goal of these provisions is to reduce maternal mortality, improve healthcare quality, and address systemic biases in perinatal care.

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB255&year=2025&code=R