Bill Text: NY A06987 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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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 infant mortality and prepare and submit a report to the governor and the legislature.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2020-12-23 - approval memo.58 [A06987 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A06987-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          6987
                               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 infant  mortality  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  infant mortality. 1.   The department  shall  conduct  a  study  on  the
     5  effects  of  racial  and  ethnic  disparities  on  infant mortality. The
     6  purpose of the study shall be to:
     7    (a) identify  statewide  and  regional  infant  death  rates,  trends,
     8  patterns,  and  racial and ethnic disparities in adverse birth outcomes,
     9  and medical, non-medical,  and  system-related  factors  that  may  have
    10  contributed to infant deaths and treatment disparities;
    11    (b) review the extent to which racial and ethnic disparities in infant
    12  mortality  in  a geographic area indicate the need to increase access to
    13  health care services among racial and ethnic populations in  that  area;
    14  and
    15    (c) identify ways to reduce or eliminate racial and ethnic disparities
    16  that contribute to infant mortality.
    17    2.  In  conducting  the  study,  the department may seek the advice of
    18  persons specializing in the fields of neonatal and post neonatal pathol-
    19  ogy, maternal and infant health,  minority  health  advocacy,  or  other
    20  related fields.
    21    3.  Within  one  year  after  the  effective date of this section, the
    22  department shall prepare and submit to the governor, the temporary pres-
    23  ident of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD10112-01-9
        A. 6987                             2
     1  the senate and the minority leader of the assembly a  report  containing
     2  the study's findings concerning the effects of racial and ethnic dispar-
     3  ities  on  infant mortality and recommendations for legislative or other
     4  actions that can be undertaken to:
     5    (a) reduce infant mortality and improve birth outcomes in the state;
     6    (b)  reduce or eliminate racial and ethnic disparities that contribute
     7  to infant mortality; and
     8    (c) increase access to health care services among  racial  and  ethnic
     9  populations in the state.
    10    4.  The  department may prepare and submit additional reports when the
    11  department deems it appropriate, and each report, with the exception  of
    12  the first report prepared under this section, shall additionally identi-
    13  fy  the extent to which the department's prior recommendations have been
    14  successfully implemented in practice and the apparent  impact  that  the
    15  implementation  of  such recommended changes has had on infant mortality
    16  in the preceding years.
    17    § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day  after  it  shall
    18  have  become a law. Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or
    19  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary  for  the  implementation  of
    20  this  act  on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
    21  on or before such date.