Bill Text: NY A06986 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Requires the department of health of the state of New York to conduct a study of the effects of racial and ethnic disparities on breastfeeding rates and prepare and submit a report to the governor and the legislature.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2020-12-02 - approval memo.20 [A06986 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-A06986-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6986--A 2019-2020 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY April 3, 2019 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Health -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring the department of health of the state of New York to conduct a study of the effects of racial and ethnic disparities on breastfeeding rates and prepare and submit a report to the governor and the legislature The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 2 2500-l to read as follows: 3 § 2500-l. Study of the effects of racial and ethnic disparities on 4 breastfeeding rates. 1. The department shall conduct a study on the 5 effects of racial and ethnic disparities on breastfeeding rates. The 6 purpose of the study shall be to: 7 (a) identify statewide and regional breastfeeding rates, trends, 8 patterns, and racial and ethnic disparities in breastfeeding rates, and 9 medical, non-medical, and system-related factors that may have contrib- 10 uted to breastfeeding rate disparities; 11 (b) review the extent to which racial and ethnic disparities in 12 breastfeeding in a geographic area indicate the need to increase access 13 to health care services in that area; 14 (c) identify ways to reduce or eliminate racial and ethnic disparities 15 that contribute to disparities in breastfeeding rates; and 16 (d) review the extent to which racial and ethnic disparities in 17 breastfeeding initiation and duration indicate the need to increase 18 breastfeeding supports among racial and ethnic populations throughout 19 the state. 20 2. In conducting the study, the department may seek the advice of 21 persons specializing in the fields of neonatal and post neonatal pathol- EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD10114-02-9A. 6986--A 2 1 ogy, maternal and infant health, minority health advocacy, or other 2 related fields. 3 3. Within one year after the effective date of this section, the 4 department shall prepare and submit to the governor, the temporary pres- 5 ident of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of 6 the senate and the minority leader of the assembly a report containing 7 the study's findings concerning the effects of racial and ethnic dispar- 8 ities on breastfeeding rates and recommendations for legislative or 9 other actions that can be undertaken to: 10 (a) increase breastfeeding rates in the state; 11 (b) reduce or eliminate racial and ethnic disparities that contribute 12 to disparity in breastfeeding rates; 13 (c) increase access to health care services in the state; and 14 (d) increase breastfeeding support throughout the state. 15 4. The department may prepare and submit additional reports when the 16 department deems it appropriate, and each report, with the exception of 17 the first report prepared under this section, shall additionally identi- 18 fy the extent to which the department's prior recommendations have been 19 successfully implemented in practice and the apparent impact that the 20 implementation of such recommended changes has had on breastfeeding 21 rates in the preceding years. 22 § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall 23 have become a law. Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or 24 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of 25 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed 26 on or before such date.