Substitute Bill No. 477 Summary

• Establishes a task force to study assisted living services agencies providing dementia special care units, including examination of Department of Public Health regulation, minimum staffing requirements, and record-keeping for meals, bathing, medication, and resident health.

• Requires the maternal mortality review committee to develop educational materials on mental health disorders, screening tools for intimate partner violence and substance use, and indicators of intimate partner violence for distribution to birthing hospitals and healthcare providers by January 1, 2023.

• Mandates birthing hospitals provide caesarean section patients with written information on post-operative mobility, establish patient portals for accessing discharge materials by January 1, 2023, and distribute maternal mental health educational materials to postpartum patients by January 1, 2023.

• Establishes Maternal Mental Health Month (May) and Maternal Mental Health Day (May 5) to raise awareness of maternal mental health issues.

• Creates a Commission on Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention to coordinate funding and implementation of evidence-based community programs to reduce gun violence, with initial appointments due within 60 days and annual reporting requirements beginning January 1, 2023.

• Appropriates $250,000 to the Department of Public Health for fiscal year 2023 to promote the CDC's "Hear Her" campaign preventing pregnancy-related deaths to healthcare providers and hospitals.