Bill Text: NY S03017 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes a program in which a baby box is provided by the commissioner to all infants born in the state of New York.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - REFERRED TO HEALTH [S03017 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S03017-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          3017
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                    January 31, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen. KENNEDY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
        AN ACT to amend the public health law, in  relation  to  establishing  a
          statewide newborn health and safety program
          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  2509 to read as follows:
     3    §  2509.  New  born  health and safety program. 1. For the purposes of
     4  this section, the term "baby box" shall mean a cardboard box lined  with
     5  a firm mattress, such that it can double as a bassinet.
     6    2. a. There shall be established in the department, by the commission-
     7  er,  a baby box program designed to reduce infant mortality rates across
     8  the state. Through the baby box program, the commissioner shall  provide
     9  baby boxes, for each infant born in the state of New York, regardless of
    10  family income. The baby boxes shall be designed to be a safe sleep place
    11  for  newborn infants. Each mattress shall be covered with a fitted sheet
    12  and all baby boxes shall contain newborn infant care essentials aimed at
    13  promoting safe sleeping practices and other methods of  reducing  sudden
    14  infant  death  syndrome,  as well as items to encourage safe and healthy
    15  habits for families transitioning to parenting.  All  such  infant  care
    16  essentials  shall  be  chosen  at the discretion of the commissioner and
    17  shall include, but not be limited to clothing, hats, socks, thermometers
    18  and bath towels.
    19    b. The department shall pursue  available  funding  options  and  make
    20  efforts  to  establish  a  public-private partnership with organizations
    21  that promote such causes or manufacture such products in order  to  seek
    22  to  obtain donations for these purposes. The department shall be respon-
    23  sible for monitoring the quality, appropriateness and  effectiveness  of
    24  the  program and shall report to the legislature within two years of the
    25  effective date of this section on the program's effectiveness, and  then
    26  provide periodic updates every year thereafter.
    27    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03955-01-9