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.
                                                                   LBD10114-02-9

        A. 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.
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