Senate Bill 21-193 Summary

• Requires correctional facilities and jails to provide pregnant people with access to perinatal healthcare providers, healthy nutrition, counseling for mental health/substance use disorders, and evidence-based pregnancy education during pregnancy and postpartum period.

• Prohibits use of restraints on pregnant people during labor and delivery in correctional facilities and jails; requires written records of any restraint use to be submitted to judiciary committees by February 15 annually.

• Mandates health facilities providing labor and childbirth services allow birthing people to have a companion or doula present, prioritize newborn-family bonding, and obtain informed consent before interrupting physiologic birth.

• Establishes requirements for correctional facilities to develop trauma-informed care policies, maintain contact between postpartum people and newborns, transfer health records upon release, and connect people exiting custody to community health resources.

• Appropriates $148,783 to the Department of Corrections and $50,215 to the Department of Public Health and Environment for 2021-22 fiscal year to implement provisions related to perinatal care and mental health services.