HB 1212 — 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.

PRINTER'S NO.   1360

                     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 AND K.HARRIS, APRIL 15, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, APRIL 15, 2025


                                     AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in miscellaneous provisions, providing
 3      for drug screening and awareness education and for fatherhood
 4      engagement in maternal health; and imposing duties on the
 5      Joint State Government Commission.
 6      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 7   hereby enacts as follows:
 8      Section 1.    Chapter 59 of Title 35 of the Pennsylvania
 9   Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a subchapter heading
10   to read:
11                                SUBCHAPTER A
12                   DRUG SCREENING AND AWARENESS EDUCATION
13      Section 2.    Section 5902(c) of Title 35 is amended to read:
14   § 5902.    Urine drug screening requirement.
15      * * *
16      (c)     Applicability.--The requirements of this [chapter]
17   subchapter shall not apply if a health care practitioner of the
18   emergency department determines that a positive test result for
 1   fentanyl is due to a legally prescribed course of treatment for
 2   the patient. The health care practitioner shall denote this
 3   exception in the patient's medical record.
 4      * * *
 5      Section 3.      Chapter 59 of Title 35 is amended by adding a
 6   subchapter to read:
 7                                  SUBCHAPTER B
 8                    FATHERHOOD ENGAGEMENT IN MATERNAL HEALTH
 9   Sec.
10   5911.   Declaration of purpose.
11   5912.   Definitions.
12   5913.   Public awareness campaign on fatherhood engagement in
13                   maternal health.
14   5914.   Guidance to maternal care providers on encouraging
15                   fatherhood engagement in maternal health.
16   5915.   Report.
17   § 5911.    Declaration of purpose.
18      The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
19             (1)   Fatherhood engagement can play an important role in
20      improving maternal health care, addressing maternal mortality
21      and morbidity and bettering the development and long-term
22      growth of a child.
23             (2)   The participation of the father during prenatal care
24      appointments provides the mother with additional support to
25      recognize potential pregnancy-related complications that
26      could lead to maternal mortality and morbidity.
27             (3)   When the father is involved during pregnancy
28      appointments and milestones, the mother is one and one-half
29      times more likely to receive prenatal care in the first
30      trimester, which improves health outcomes for both the mother

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 1      and baby.
 2             (4)   The support of the father during pregnancy can help
 3      promote the behavioral health of the mother.
 4             (5)   Fatherhood engagement reduces the risks of
 5      postpartum mood and anxiety disorders and contributes to a
 6      lower likelihood of a preterm birth and a higher likelihood
 7      of a healthier birth weight.
 8             (6)   Including fathers in conversations about safe sleep
 9      guidelines and sharing guidance about infant crying and the
10      risks of shaken baby syndrome can help reduce infant deaths.
11             (7)   Active support of the father during breastfeeding
12      greatly increases the chances of successful breastfeeding,
13      which improves the physical and mental health of the baby and
14      the mother.
15             (8)   Physical contact between the father and the baby
16      just after birth and in the months following birth has been
17      shown to improve the health and development of the baby,
18      improve the mental health of the father and foster father-
19      child bonding in the short term and long term.
20   § 5912.    Definitions.
21      The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
22   shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
23   context clearly indicates otherwise:
24      "Birth center."     As defined in section 802.1 of the act of
25   July 19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48), known as the Health Care
26   Facilities Act.
27      "Department."     The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
28      "Health care facility."     As defined in section 103 of the
29   Health Care Facilities Act.
30      "Health care practitioner."      As defined in section 103 of the

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 1   Health Care Facilities Act.
 2      "Hospital."         As defined in section 802.1 of the Health Care
 3   Facilities Act.
 4   § 5913.    Public awareness campaign on fatherhood engagement in
 5                   maternal health.
 6      (a)    Duties.--No later than two years after the effective
 7   date of this subsection, the department shall conduct a public
 8   awareness campaign to increase the understanding of fatherhood
 9   engagement in improving overall health outcomes during
10   pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum for both the mother and
11   baby.
12      (b)    Contents.--The department shall ensure that the public
13   awareness campaign under subsection (a) includes all of the
14   following:
15             (1)   Messaging intended to provide information to the
16      public about the importance of a father's role in pregnancy
17      and parenting.
18             (2)   Resources and information to counter popular
19      narratives that minimize the importance of engaged and
20      involved fathers in pregnancy and parenting.
21             (3)   Resources and information that promote awareness
22      about the impact of father inclusion on maternal and infant
23      outcomes, including all of the following:
24                   (i)    The importance of father-to-infant skin-to-skin
25             contact in improving the health and development of a
26             newborn and fostering father-child bonding in the short
27             term and long term.
28                   (ii)    The role of the father in promoting the
29             behavioral health of the mother.
30                   (iii)    The role of the father in increasing the

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 1             number of prenatal and postpartum appointments the mother
 2             attends.
 3                 (iv)     The effects of father attendance during
 4             prenatal and postnatal appointments.
 5                 (v)    The effects of paternal postpartum depression.
 6                 (vi)     The role of father support in improving rates
 7             of successful breastfeeding.
 8                 (vii)     The role of father involvement in providing
 9             the mother with additional support to recognize potential
10             pregnancy-related complications, including all of the
11             following:
12                        (A)   Preeclampsia.
13                        (B)   Peripartum cardiomyopathy.
14                        (C)   Preterm labor.
15                        (D)   Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
16                        (E)   Pregnancy loss or miscarriage.
17                        (F)   Stillbirth.
18                        (G)   High blood pressure.
19                        (H)   Cervical infections.
20                        (I)   Gestational diabetes.
21                        (J)   Placental abruption.
22                        (K)   Ectopic pregnancy.
23                        (L)   Uterine rupture.
24   § 5914.    Guidance to maternal care providers on encouraging
25                 fatherhood engagement in maternal health.
26      (a)    Duties of department.--No later than one year after the
27   effective date of this subsection, the department shall post
28   materials on the department's publicly accessible Internet
29   website that address how a provider of maternity care, including
30   a hospital, health care facility, birth center, other maternity

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 1   care provider, managed care organization or other health
 2   insurance provider can provide training and education to a
 3   health care practitioner about the benefits of fatherhood
 4   engagement in improving overall health outcomes during
 5   pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum for both the mother and
 6   baby.
 7      (b)   Contents.--The department shall ensure that the
 8   materials under subsection (a) include all of the following:
 9            (1)   Information on how a health care practitioner can do
10      all of the following:
11                  (i)    Offer peer-to-peer, father-to-father
12            encouragement, support and education in communities that
13            traditionally are not inclusive of fathers.
14                  (ii)    Provide a father with information on all of the
15            following:
16                         (A)   What to expect before, during and after the
17                  birth process.
18                         (B)   How to better understand and support the
19                  mother throughout the birth process and serve as an
20                  advocate in her care.
21                         (C)   Recommendations and protocol regarding
22                  pregnancy care, postpartum care and child care,
23                  including all of the following:
24                               (I)    Maternal, infant and routine childhood
25                         vaccines.
26                               (II)    Maternal warning signs.
27                               (III)   The importance of fetal movement
28                         counting.
29                               (IV)    Maternal mental health and postpartum
30                         recovery.

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 1                            (V)    Breastfeeding practices.
 2                            (VI)    Health care appointments.
 3                            (VII)    Safe sleep practices.
 4                            (VIII)    Skin-to-skin contact.
 5                            (IX)    Baby care, including safe soothing of a
 6                       crying baby.
 7                            (X)    Child bonding.
 8                            (XI)    Early childhood development.
 9                   (iii)   Screen fathers for depression and provide
10             referrals for treatment that may positively impact child
11             development and reduce the risk of adverse childhood
12             experiences.
13             (2)   Information addressing cultural beliefs about
14      fatherhood, a man's role in maternal health and families.
15             (3)   A statement reaffirming a father's ability to play a
16      positive and valuable role during pregnancy, birth and early
17      childhood development, regardless of race or ethnicity.
18   § 5915.    Report.
19      No later than six years after the effective date of this
20   section, the Joint State Government Commission shall conduct a
21   study on the implementation of this chapter and submit a report
22   on the study to the chairperson and minority chairperson of the
23   Health and Human Services Committee of the Senate and the
24   chairperson and minority chairperson of the Health Committee of
25   the House of Representatives.
26      Section 4.      This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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