HB 24-1459

House Bill 24-1459, known as the Birth Equity Act, aims to improve conditions for pregnant individuals in custody by ensuring they are not restrained during labor, delivery, or postpartum recovery. It also requires correctional facilities and private prisons to develop policies that support breastfeeding mothers, such as storing human milk so newborns can receive it. Additionally, hospitals must create procedures to safely transport pregnant women from other locations for labor and delivery. This bill was signed into law on June 5, 2024, and took effect immediately, meaning these protections are now in place for those affected.

Official Summary

Current law prohibits the use of restraints on a pregnant individual in custody with certain exceptions. The act requires the staff of a jail, the department of corrections, or a private contract prison to comply with current law regarding the use of restraints on individuals who are in custody and experiencing labor, delivery, or postpartum recovery. The act also requires a correctional facility or private contract prison to develop administrative policies, including a system for human milk storage, to ensure a newborn can receive the milk that the newborn's postpartum parent has pumped for the newborn's nourishment. The act requires each health-care facility that provides labor and delivery services to establish a policy creating a process for the facility to receive individuals who are pregnant, undergoing physiologic birth, or in the physiologic postpartum process from locations other than licensed facilities. APPROVED by Governor June 5, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 5, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Related Legislation

Votes