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Bill

Bill

HB 414

AN ACT relating to perinatal palliative care.

2025 Regular Session

Kentucky bill establishing perinatal palliative care standards for fetuses and newborns with life-limiting conditions, enabling families comfort-focused care options.

2nd reading, to Rules
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Bill Summary · HB 414

Legislative bill overview

HB 414 establishes a framework for perinatal palliative care services in Kentucky, addressing end-of-life care for fetuses and newborns with life-limiting conditions. The bill likely creates standards, guidelines, or requirements for healthcare providers to offer comfort-focused care options to families facing devastating prenatal diagnoses or neonatal complications.

Why is this important

Perinatal palliative care addresses one of healthcare's most emotionally complex situations—enabling families to make informed decisions about care when continuing aggressive treatment may prolong suffering rather than extend meaningful life. Kentucky's explicit legislation on this topic could improve access to counseling, hospice services, and dignity-focused options while reducing variation in how different providers handle these cases.

Potential points of contention

  • Definitions of viability and life-limiting conditions: Disagreement may exist over which diagnoses qualify for palliative care, touching on abortion-adjacent debates about fetal status and decision-making authority
  • Informed consent and counseling requirements: Tension between ensuring families receive balanced information versus concerns that certain presentations could bias decisions away from continued treatment
  • Provider participation and conscience protections: Unclear whether healthcare workers can decline involvement in palliative care discussions or implementation based on personal beliefs

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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