Bill Text: NY A06986 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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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-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          6986
                               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
        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  among  racial and ethnic populations in that
    14  area;
    15    (c) identify ways to reduce or eliminate racial and ethnic disparities
    16  that contribute to disparities in breastfeeding rates; and
    17    (d) review the extent  to  which  racial  and  ethnic  disparities  in
    18  breastfeeding  initiation  and  duration  indicate  the need to increase
    19  breastfeeding supports among racial and  ethnic  populations  throughout
    20  the state.
    21    2.  In  conducting  the  study,  the department may seek the advice of
    22  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.
                                                                   LBD10114-01-9
        A. 6986                             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 among racial and ethnic
    14  populations in the state; and
    15    (d) increase breastfeeding supports  among  racial  and  ethnic  popu-
    16  lations throughout the state.
    17    4.  The  department may prepare and submit additional reports when the
    18  department deems it appropriate, and each report, with the exception  of
    19  the first report prepared under this section, shall additionally identi-
    20  fy  the extent to which the department's prior recommendations have been
    21  successfully implemented in practice and the apparent  impact  that  the
    22  implementation  of  such  recommended  changes  has had on breastfeeding
    23  rates in the preceding years.
    24    § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day  after  it  shall
    25  have become a law.  Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or
    26  repeal  of  any  rule  or regulation necessary for the implementation of
    27  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made  and  completed
    28  on or before such date.