Committee advances bill expanding postpartum protections, requires reporting of pregnant inmates

SALT LAKE CITY — The House committee favorably recommended HB 122 after hearing testimony from medical groups and corrections clinicians that the measure will improve postpartum care for incarcerated women and provide better data for policy decisions.

Representative Perucci said the bill builds on prior work to prohibit shackling pregnant inmates and extends prior reforms by requiring correctional facilities to report the number of pregnant inmates to the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, extend postpartum recovery protections to 12 weeks, and expand access to social‑worker services in county jails.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ Utah representative, Marina Lowe, told the committee that ACOG supports the bill because expanded recovery time improves physical and mental health outcomes and can lower state health care costs. A clinician with extensive experience in prisons and jails said longer postpartum services reduce postpartum depression and improve reunification outcomes.

Committee members adopted an amendment to clarify reporting language after the Department of Corrections raised a technical concern about counting female prisoner totals; the amended bill passed out of committee with a favorable recommendation by voice vote.