As the legislative session comes to an end, the Pennsylvania Senate has passed bills aimed at addressing maternal health issues, providing compensation for first responders who suffer post-traumatic stress injuries on the job, and expanding the definition of child sexual abuse material to include artificial intelligence generated pictures.
The remaining Momnibus bills pass
Two bills aimed at improving maternal health in Pennsylvania were a holdover from the “momnibus,” a package of bills aimed at lowering the Black maternal mortality rate and improving maternal health care initiated by the Democratic House of Representatives’ Black Maternal Health Caucus earlier this year.
One of those billswhich passed the Senate on Tuesday and received House approval on Wednesday, would require doctors to provide pre- and postpartum patients with information about postpartum depression. Doctors will also be required to screen for postpartum depression after delivery and at first follow-up examinations.
On Wednesday, the Senators passed another Momnibus Bill it would require Medicaid to cover doula services for pregnant patients.
Both bills passed the Senate unanimously, although on Wednesday three representatives voted against a bill requiring doctors to screen for depression after birth. The bills will go to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk for his signature before they become law.
“A doula is not a midwife. It guides the woman during labor, provides comfort to the laboring mother and, very importantly, serves as a second voice in the delivery room or elsewhere to ensure that the mother’s needs are heard by medical staff,” said Sen. Judith Schwank (D-Berksa). “This was often a problem, especially for women of color who had to make sure their needs were met.”
Prohibiting pornographic images of minors and non-consenting adults generated by artificial intelligence
Other Bill which passed the Senate on Wednesday, would expand the definition of child sexual abuse material to include images of minors generated by artificial intelligence (AI). It will also ban the distribution of pornographic images of non-consenting adults created by artificial intelligence.
As artificial intelligence becomes more advanced and widespread, creating clear images of real, non-consenting people is becoming a growing problem across the country. But even though Pennsylvania already has a law banning the sharing of photos of non-consenting sexual partners, so-called “deepfakes” remain in a legal gray area.
“This technology is used to make fake images look very, very realistic. And as we all know, once created and shared, these photos are remembered forever,” said Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton). “We must act now to protect our children and update our laws to keep pace with technology and protect the dignity and privacy of all people in our state.”
Boscola noted that the bill was created with bipartisan support in both chambers. Its primary sponsor is Senate Communications and Technology Chair Tracy Pennycuick (R-Montgomery). It was passed unanimously by the House and Senate and will go to Shapirio’s desk for his signature.
Coping with post-traumatic stress in first responders
The Senate also passed Bill this would enable first responders such as emergency medical services, police and fire workers to receive compensation for post-traumatic stress injuries.
“We owe it to these individuals to provide them with the mental health care they need if they are suffering from post-traumatic stress injuries,” Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R-Wash.), the bill’s sponsor, said on the Senate floor Wednesday. “They run into fires, road accidents, civil conflicts and all kinds of events that are completely traumatic for the victims to whom it happens, but also for those who respond to it.”
The bill will go to the House, which will have to pass it before the end of the current legislative session. There are currently five scheduled days of the House session remaining. Typically, a bill must pass through committee and be read on three different days before it can be passed.
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