SF 1072

1st Engrossment - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to health; requiring the commissioner of health to conduct a study to
determine the extent of prenatal drug exposure in babies born in Minnesota;
appropriating money.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin STUDY ON PRENATAL DRUG EXPOSURE.
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new text begin (a) The commissioner of health, in consultation with the University of Minnesota
Department of Epidemiology and the Minnesota Hospital Association, shall conduct a
study by collecting and analyzing data to determine the prevalence of prenatal illicit
drug exposure in order to assist the legislature in directing resources to address early
intervention and the special needs of these infants. The study shall involve obtaining the
information described in paragraph (c) and testing specimens of the meconium of at least
3,000 infants born in Minnesota.
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new text begin (b) The commissioner, in consultation with the Minnesota Hospital Association,
shall identify no fewer than three hospitals with at least one of the hospitals located outside
the seven-county metropolitan area to participate in the study. The participating hospitals
shall collect a meconium specimen from a specified number of randomly selected infants
who are born at the participating hospital during the period of time identified in the
study. The specimen shall be processed at a laboratory specified by the commissioner
for the presence of methamphetamine, cocaine, morphine and morphine derivatives,
and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
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new text begin (c) In addition to the specimen collection, the participating hospital shall collect and
submit to the commissioner the following information for each of the randomly selected
births:
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new text begin (1) maternal demographics, including age, marital status, and county of residence;
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new text begin (2) any maternal complications, including placental abruption, preterm labor, or
preeclampsia;
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new text begin (3) birth weight;
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new text begin (4) gestational age;
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new text begin (5) admission of the infant to a neonatal intensive care unit;
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new text begin (6) preterm labor;
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new text begin (7) infant complications, including a low Apgar score or birth defects; and
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new text begin (8) any maternal report of illicit drug usage during pregnancy.
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new text begin (d) The commissioner shall analyze the information received from the participating
hospitals and the processed specimens to determine:
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new text begin (1) the incidence of prenatal drug exposure by:
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new text begin (i) drug;
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new text begin (ii) hospital; and
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new text begin (iii) county of residence;
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new text begin (2) any association of preterm or low-birth weight deliveries with prenatal drug
exposure;
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new text begin (3) any association of maternal complications with prenatal drug exposure; and
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new text begin (4) a comparison of reported maternal drug usage with the results of the specimen
collected.
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new text begin (e) Specimens may be collected under this section only with the informed consent
of the mother of the infant, which must meet the informed consent protocols developed
by the National Institutes of Health. Specimens may be collected only if a certificate
of confidentiality issued by the National Institute of Health has been obtained. Data
submitted to the commissioner must not contain any patient identifying information. The
commissioner shall provide the participating hospitals with a coded study number to
be used to match the infant meconium specimens collected with the other information
described in paragraph (c). Data submitted to the commissioner under this section are
private data on individuals or nonpublic data as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section
13.02.
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new text begin (f) By January 15, 2009, the commissioner shall submit a report of the findings of
the study indicating the prevalence of prenatal drug exposure to the house and senate
committees having jurisdiction.
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Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
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new text begin $....... is appropriated in fiscal year 2008 from the general fund to the commissioner
of health to conduct the prenatal drug exposure study.
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