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PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1360 PRINTER'S NO. 1935
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1212
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY ABNEY, CEPHAS, McANDREW, WAXMAN, MAYES, HILL-
EVANS, GIRAL, HOHENSTEIN, NEILSON, KENYATTA, PROBST, BELLMON,
MALAGARI, SANCHEZ, MADDEN, D. WILLIAMS, PARKER, CEPEDA-
FREYTIZ, RIVERA, DAVIDSON, K.HARRIS, CURRY, BRENNAN AND KHAN,
JUNE 16, 2025
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
AS AMENDED, JUNE 16, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in miscellaneous provisions, providing
for drug screening and awareness education and for fatherhood
engagement in maternal health; and imposing duties on the
Joint State Government Commission.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Chapter 59 of Title 35 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a subchapter heading
to read:
SUBCHAPTER A
DRUG SCREENING AND AWARENESS EDUCATION
Section 2. Section 5902(c) of Title 35 is amended to read:
§ 5902. Urine drug screening requirement.
* * *
(c) Applicability.--The requirements of this [chapter]
subchapter shall not apply if a health care practitioner of the
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emergency department determines that a positive test result for
fentanyl is due to a legally prescribed course of treatment for
the patient. The health care practitioner shall denote this
exception in the patient's medical record.
* * *
Section 3. Chapter 59 of Title 35 is amended by adding a
subchapter to read:
SUBCHAPTER B
FATHERHOOD ENGAGEMENT IN MATERNAL HEALTH
Sec.
5911. Declaration of purpose.
5912. Definitions.
5913. Public awareness campaign on fatherhood engagement in
maternal health.
5914. Guidance to maternal care providers on encouraging
fatherhood engagement in maternal health.
5915. Report.
§ 5911. Declaration of purpose.
The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) Fatherhood engagement can play an important role in
improving maternal health care, addressing maternal mortality
and morbidity and bettering the development and long-term
growth of a child.
(2) The participation of the father during prenatal care
appointments provides CAN PROVIDE the mother with additional
support to recognize potential pregnancy-related
complications that could lead to maternal mortality and
morbidity.
(3) When the father is involved during pregnancy
appointments and milestones, the mother is one and one-half
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times more likely to receive prenatal care in the first
trimester, which improves health outcomes for both the mother
and baby.
(4) The support of the father during pregnancy can help
promote the behavioral health of the mother.
(5) (3) Fatherhood engagement reduces CAN REDUCE the
risks of postpartum mood and anxiety disorders and
contributes to a lower likelihood of a preterm birth and a
higher likelihood of a healthier birth weight.
(6) Including fathers in conversations about safe sleep
guidelines and sharing guidance about infant crying and the
risks of shaken baby syndrome can help reduce infant deaths.
(7) (4) Active support of the father during
breastfeeding greatly increases CAN INCREASE the chances of
successful breastfeeding, which improves the physical and
mental health of the baby and the mother.
(8) (5) Physical contact between the father and the baby
just after birth and in the months following birth has been
shown to improve the health and development of the baby,
improve the mental health of the father and foster father-
child bonding in the short term and long term.
§ 5912. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Birth center." As defined in section 802.1 of the act of
July 19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48), known as the Health Care
Facilities Act.
"Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
"Health care facility." As defined in section 103 of the
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Health Care Facilities Act.
"Health care practitioner." As defined in section 103 of the
Health Care Facilities Act.
"Hospital." As defined in section 802.1 of the Health Care
Facilities Act.
§ 5913 . Public awareness campaign on fatherhood engagement in
maternal health.
(a) Duties.-- No SUBJECT TO FUNDING BEING AVAILABLE, NO later
than two years after the effective date of this subsection , the
department shall conduct a public awareness campaign to increase
the understanding of fatherhood engagement in improving overall
health outcomes during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum for
both the mother and baby.
(b) Contents.--The department shall ensure that the public
awareness campaign under subsection (a) includes all of the
following:
(1) M essaging intended to provide information to the
public about the importance of a father's role in pregnancy
and parenting.
(2) R esources and information to counter popular
narratives that minimize the importance of engaged and
involved fathers in pregnancy and parenting.
(3) R esources and information that promote awareness
about the impact of father inclusion on maternal and infant
outcomes, including all of the following:
(i) T he importance of father-to-infant skin-to-skin
contact in improving the health and development of a
newborn and fostering father-child bonding in the short
term and long term.
(ii) T he role of the father in promoting the
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behavioral health of the mother.
(iii) T he role of the father in increasing the
number of prenatal and postpartum appointments the mother
attends.
(iv) The effects of father attendance during
prenatal and postnatal appointments.
(v) The effects of paternal postpartum depression.
(vi) The role of father support in improving rates
of successful breastfeeding.
(vii) T he role of father involvement in providing
the mother with additional support to recognize potential
pregnancy-related complications, including all of the
following:
(A) P reeclampsia.
(B) P eripartum cardiomyopathy.
(C) P reterm labor.
(D) P erinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
(E) P regnancy loss or miscarriage.
(F) S tillbirth.
(G) H igh blood pressure.
(H) C ervical infections.
(I) G estational diabetes.
(J) P lacental abruption.
(K) E ctopic pregnancy.
(L) U terine rupture.
(2) R ESOURCES AND INFORMATION THAT PROMOTE AWARENESS
ABOUT THE IMPACT OF FATHER INCLUSION ON MATERNAL AND INFANT
OUTCOMES.
§ 5914. Guidance to maternal care providers on encouraging
fatherhood engagement in maternal health.
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(a) Duties of department.-- No later than one year after the
effective date of this subsection, the department shall post
materials on the department's publicly accessible Internet
website that address how a provider of maternity care, including
a hospital, health care facility, birth center , other maternity
care provider, managed care organization or other health
insurance provider OR HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER, can provide
training and education to a health care practitioner about the
benefits of fatherhood engagement in improving overall health
outcomes during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum for both
the mother and baby .
(b) Contents.--The department shall ensure that the
materials under subsection (a) include all of the following:
(1) I nformation on how a health care practitioner can do
all of the following:
(i) O ffer peer-to-peer, father-to-father
encouragement, support and education in communities that
traditionally are not inclusive of fathers.
(ii) P rovide a father with information on all of the
following:
(A) W hat to expect before, during and after the
birth process.
(B) H ow to better understand and support the
mother throughout the birth process and serve as an
advocate in her care.
(C) Recommendations and protocol regarding
pregnancy care, postpartum care and child care,
including all of the following:
(I) M aternal, infant and routine childhood
vaccines.
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(II) M aternal warning signs.
(III) T he importance of fetal movement
counting.
(IV) Maternal mental health and postpartum
recovery.
(V) Breastfeeding practices.
(VI) Health care appointments.
(VII) S afe sleep practices.
(VIII) Skin-to-skin contact.
(IX) Baby care, including safe soothing of a
crying baby.
(X) Child bonding.
(XI) Early childhood development.
(iii) S creen fathers for depression and provide
referrals for treatment that may positively impact child
development and reduce the risk of adverse childhood
experiences.
(2) Information addressing cultural beliefs about
fatherhood, a man's role in maternal health and families.
(3) A statement reaffirming a father's ability to play a
positive and valuable role during pregnancy, birth and early
childhood development, regardless of race or ethnicity.
(B) SCREENING FOR PATERNAL DEPRESSION.-- THE DEPARTMENT SHALL
ENCOURAGE AND PROMOTE THE INCLUSION OF PATERNAL DEPRESSION
SCREENING BY PROVIDERS OF MATERNITY CARE AS PART OF CARE
PROVIDED DURING PREGNANCY, CHILDBIRTH AND POSTPARTUM FOR BOTH
THE MOTHER AND BABY.
§ 5915. Report.
No later than six FOUR years after the effective date of this
section, the Joint State Government Commission shall conduct a
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study on the implementation of this chapter and submit a report
on the study to the chairperson and minority chairperson of the
Health and Human Services Committee of the Senate and the
chairperson and minority chairperson of the Health Committee of
the House of Representatives.
Section 4. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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