An Act To Ensure Health Care Practitioners Understand and Screen for Domestic Abuse for Pregnant Women and New Mothers
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §263 is enacted to read:
§ 263. Domestic abuse screening and education
The department, the Board of Licensure in Medicine, the Board of Osteopathic Licensure and the State Board of Nursing shall develop policies and procedures and adopt any rules necessary to achieve the requirements of this section regarding the screening of pregnant women and new mothers for domestic abuse, the provision of information to pregnant women and new mothers about domestic abuse services and the required training for health care practitioners regarding domestic abuse.
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This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services, the Board of Licensure in Medicine, the Board of Osteopathic Licensure and the State Board of Nursing to develop policies and procedures and adopt any rules necessary to mandate the screening by health care practitioners of pregnant women and new mothers for domestic abuse. This bill requires that the practitioners educate these patients about domestic abuse services as well as attend training on domestic abuse, approved by the department and the Department of the Attorney General. The bill requires health care practitioners during a specific time segment designated for the purpose in each patient visit and in a private setting to assess the patient's risk of domestic abuse and to discuss concerns about domestic violence. The bill specifies the use of a nationally recognized domestic abuse risk and lethality assessment tool and requires the assessment to be part of regular hospital care for new mothers immediately following a birth and must include a specific time for the new mother to discuss any concerns about domestic abuse with a health care practitioner in a private setting. The bill requires practitioners to provide specific information about domestic abuse services available and to monitor each patient closely for signs and symptoms of abuse. It requires the practitioners to report the number and frequency of assessments and results of the assessments, absent the names of the parties, to the department. It requires the department to track the results statewide.