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SECOND REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 1306
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR WASHINGTON.
4287S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To amend chapter 192, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to health advocates.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 192, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto 1
one new section, to be known as section 192.378, to read as 2
follows:3
192.378. 1. For purposes of this section, the 1
following terms mean: 2
(1) "Department", the department of health and senior 3
services; 4
(2) "Health advocate", an employee or contractor of 5
the department who works with pregnant patients on their 6
behalf by assisting the patients in navigating the health 7
care system and communicating with the health care 8
professionals providing care for the patients; 9
(3) "Program", the health advocate program established 10
in subsection 2 of this section. 11
2. Subject to appropriation, the department shall 12
establish a health advocate program in which the department 13
provides a health advocate to any pregnant patient who 14
requests a health advocate. 15
3. Any resident of this state who is pregnant may 16
request a health advocate through the program. The 17
department shall assign a health advocate to the resident 18
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within twenty days of any such request. The assignment 19
shall continue for the duration of the pregnancy. 20
4. A health advocate for the program may be licensed 21
or certified as a health care professional or patient 22
advocate, but licensure or certification shall not be 23
required to serve as a health advocate in the program. 24
5. The department shall determine the duties the 25
health advocate shall perform for the patients in the 26
program during their pregnancy. The duties shall include, 27
but not be limited to, the following: 28
(1) Assessing the needs, culture, and medical 29
background of the patient and the patient's family; 30
(2) Preparing a birthing plan for the family; 31
(3) Being present in the birthing room with the family 32
or on call during the birthing process; 33
(4) Advocating for the patient if any conflict occurs 34
between or among the patient, the health care professionals 35
caring for the patient, and the family members of the 36
patient; and 37
(5) Documenting any conflict described in subdivision 38
(4) of this subsection and monitoring and documenting the 39
outcome of the conflict. 40
6. Every licensed physician who provides obstetrical 41
or gynecological care to a pregnant patient in this state 42
shall inform the patient about the availability of the 43
program. 44
7. To raise awareness and to educate the public, the 45
department shall: 46
(1) Collect and distribute resource materials to 47
educate the public about the program; 48
(2) Develop and distribute educational materials, 49
including, but not limited to, videos, brochures, and other 50
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media, as part of a comprehensive public awareness campaign 51
about the program; 52
(3) Make such educational materials available through 53
state and local public health clinics, public hospitals, and 54
private physicians for distribution to their patients. Such 55
materials shall also be available to the public on the 56
department's website; and 57
(4) Establish a toll-free telephone number to provide 58
information on the program and receive requests from 59
patients for health advocates. 60
8. (1) There is hereby created in the state treasury 61
the "Health Advocate Program Fund", which shall consist of 62
moneys appropriated to it by the general assembly and any 63
gifts, contributions, grants, or bequests received from 64
federal, private, or other sources. The state treasurer 65
shall be custodian of the fund. The department shall 66
administer the fund in accordance with the provisions of 67
this section. In accordance with sections 30.170 and 68
30.180, the state treasurer may approve disbursements. The 69
fund shall be a dedicated fund and, upon appropriation, 70
moneys in this fund shall be used solely by the department 71
as provided in this section. 72
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 33.080 73
to the contrary, any moneys remaining in the fund at the end 74
of the biennium shall not revert to the credit of the 75
general revenue fund. 76
(3) The state treasurer shall invest moneys in the 77
fund in the same manner as other funds are invested. Any 78
interest and moneys earned on such investments shall be 79
credited to the fund. 80
9. The department shall promulgate all necessary rules 81
and regulations for the administration of this section. Any 82
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rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in 83
section 536.010, that is created under the authority 84
delegated in this section shall become effective only if it 85
complies with and is subject to all of the provisions of 86
chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028. This 87
section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and if any of the 88
powers vested with the general assembly pursuant to chapter 89
536 to review, to delay the effective date, or to disapprove 90
and annul a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, 91
then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule proposed 92
or adopted after August 28, 2026, shall be invalid and void. 93
10. The provisions of sections 23.250 to 23.298 shall 94
not apply to the provisions of this section. 95
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