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<section article="ghg" article_name="Health - General" number="19-2602" title_number="19" title_name="Health Care Facilities" subtitle_number="26" subtitle_name="Hospital Obstetric Services Policy">
  <level label="a">
    <text>A hospital shall adopt and provide evidence to the Department that the hospital has:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>A doula policy that allows every birthing parent to have at least one doula present during birth in addition to authorized guests;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>An informed consent policy for significant medical intervention for the birthing parent; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>A transfer acceptance policy that includes the hospital’s process for receiving:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>A patient from a health care practitioner regulated under Title 8 of the Health Occupations Article who had provided services to a birthing parent in a home birth setting;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>A birthing parent’s or newborn’s medical information from the home birth provider; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>A transfer from a licensed direct–entry midwife that is consistent with the requirements of § 8–6C–08 of the Health Occupations Article.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>A hospital shall provide evidence to the Department that the hospital has adopted a policy under subsection (a) of this section:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <level label="i">
        <text>On or before January 1, 2026; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>If the hospital is established after January 1, 2026, on the establishment of the hospital; and</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Whenever the policy is updated.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The Department shall adopt regulations to carry out this section, including regulations that establish the form and manner in which a hospital may prove to the Department that the hospital has adopted a policy in compliance with this section.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The Department shall make the policies provided by a hospital under this section available to the public on request and in a manner determined by the Department.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>This section does not prohibit a hospital from setting a policy that restricts the number of doulas or authorized guests.</text>
  </level>
</section>
