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2026 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE BILL NO. 32
BY SENATORS MCMATH, ABRAHAM, ALLAIN, BARROW, BARTHELEMY, BASS,
BOUDREAUX, CARTER, CATHEY, CLOUD, CONNICK,
DUPLESSIS, EDMONDS, FESI, FOIL, HARRIS, HENRY,
HENSGENS, HODGES, JACKSON-ANDREWS, JENKINS,
KLEINPETER, LAMBERT, LUNEAU, MILLER, MIZELL, MORRIS,
MYERS, OWEN, PRESSLY, PRICE, REESE, SEABAUGH, SELDERS,
STINE, TALBOT, WHEAT AND WOMACK AND
REPRESENTATIVES ADAMS, AMEDEE, BACALA, BAMBURG,
BAYHAM, BEAULLIEU, BERAULT, BILLINGS, BOUDREAUX,
BOURRIAQUE, BOYD, BOYER, BRASS, BRAUD, BROUSSARD,
BRYANT, CARRIER, ROBBY CARTER, CHASSION, CHENEVERT,
COATES, COX, DESHOTEL, DEVILLIER, DEWITT, DICKERSON,
DOMANGUE, EGAN, FISHER, FONTENOT, FREEMAN, FREIBERG,
GADBERRY, GLORIOSO, CHANCE HENRY, DANA HENRY,
HILFERTY, HORTON, ILLG, JACKSON, MIKE JOHNSON, TRAVIS
JOHNSON, KERNER, KNOX, LACOMBE, LAFLEUR, JACOB
LANDRY, LARVADAIN, LYONS, MACK, MARCELLE,
MARTINEZ, MCMAHEN, MCMAKIN, MELERINE, MENA,
MILLER, MOORE, MURRAY, MUSCARELLO, NEWELL,
ORGERON, OWEN, SAWYER, SCHAMERHORN, SCHLEGEL,
SPELL, ST. BLANC, STAGNI, TAYLOR, TURNER, VENTRELLA,
VILLIO, WALTERS, WILDER, WILEY, WRIGHT, WYBLE, YOUNG
AND ZERINGUE
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact the heading of Part XII-A of Chapter 5-B of Title 40 of the Louisiana
3 Revised Statutes of 1950 and to enact R.S. 40:1124.3, relative to perinatal care; to
4 provide for the Perinatal Bereavement Care Initiative; to provide for the duties of the
5 Louisiana Department of Health; to provide for funding; and to provide for related
6 matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. The heading of Part XII-A of Chapter 5-B of Title 40 of the Louisiana
9 Revised Statutes of 1950 is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 40:1124.3 is hereby
10 enacted to read as follows:
11 PART XII-A. PERINATAL PHYSICAL HEALTH POLICY
12 * * *
13 §1124.3. Perinatal bereavement care
14 A. There is hereby established within the Louisiana Department of
15 Health, office on women's health and community health, the Perinatal
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
SB NO. 32 ENROLLED
1 Bereavement Care Initiative. The department shall administer the initiative to
2 improve access to and the quality of perinatal bereavement care in the state.
3 B. The office shall coordinate with the Commission on Perinatal Care
4 and Prevention of Infant Mortality and nonprofit organizations to provide all
5 of the following resources to hospitals with a maternity unit or neonatal
6 intensive care unit:
7 (1) Training for hospital personnel on interacting with parents and
8 family members following an intrauterine fetal demise, neonatal death, or
9 stillbirth.
10 (2)(a) A perinatal cooling device that is available to any family that
11 experiences an intrauterine fetal demise, neonatal death, stillbirth, or infant
12 death at the hospital.
13 (b) Education for staff on use of a perinatal cooling device. Any nursing
14 staff using a perinatal cooling device shall either receive training on use of the
15 device or complete a perinatal bereavement certificate program.
16 (3) Assistance identifying available perinatal bereavement services for
17 parents and family members, including grief counseling and support groups.
18 C.(1) The office shall identify each hospital that has a maternity unit or
19 neonatal intensive care unit.
20 (2) The office shall prioritize hospitals that lack access to a perinatal
21 cooling device, treat a high number of high-risk maternal patients, and deliver
22 a high number of babies.
23 D. The department may seek and receive voluntary monies from any
24 sources, including federal funds, gifts, grants, and donations, which shall be
25 expended for the purposes provided for in this Section.
26 E. Beginning February 1, 2027, through February 1, 2030, the Louisiana
27 Department of Health shall submit an annual report to the Senate Health and
28 Welfare Committee and the House Health and Welfare Committee on the
29 progress of the initiative. The report shall include a list of the hospitals that
30 meet the criteria for the initiative, the hospitals that have participated, funding
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
SB NO. 32 ENROLLED
1 received and utilized for the initiative, the number of perinatal cooling devices
2 distributed, and training completed by the appropriate hospital staff.
3 Section 2. This Act shall be known and may be cited as "Angel's Law".
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.