STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2609--A
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 26, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. HYNDMAN, McDONALD, AUBRY, SAYEGH, DARLING,
BENDETT, SLATER, NOVAKHOV, WALKER -- read once and referred to the
Committee 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 sickle cell
disease detection and education
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 243 of the public health law, as amended by chap-
2 ter 523 of the laws of 2022, is amended by adding a new subdivision 6 to
3 read as follows:
4 6. Sickle cell disease. a. The health equity council shall consider,
5 and advise the commissioner regarding sickle cell disease.
6 b. The council shall issue recommendations to the commissioner to
7 promote screening and detection of sickle cell disease, especially among
8 unserved or underserved populations; to educate the public regarding
9 sickle cell disease and the benefits of early detection; and to provide
10 counseling and referral services. For purposes of this subdivision,
11 "unserved or underserved populations" means people having inadequate
12 access and financial resources to obtain sickle cell disease screening
13 and detection services, including people who lack health coverage or
14 whose health coverage is inadequate or who cannot meet the financial
15 requirements of their coverage for accessing detection services.
16 c. The council shall consider the feasibility of the following:
17 (i) the establishment of a statewide public education and outreach
18 campaign to publicize evidence based sickle cell disease screening,
19 detection and education services. The campaign shall include: general
20 community education, outreach to specific underserved populations,
21 evidence based clinical sickle cell disease screening services, and an
22 informational summary that shall include an explanation of the impor-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05973-02-3
A. 2609--A 2
1 tance of clinical examinations and what to expect during clinical exam-
2 inations and sickle cell disease screening services;
3 (ii) the provision of grants to approved organizations;
4 (iii) the compilation of data concerning sickle cell disease and
5 dissemination of such data to the public; and
6 (iv) the development of health care professional education programs
7 including the benefits of early detection of sickle cell disease and
8 clinical examinations, the recommended frequency of clinical examina-
9 tions and sickle cell disease screening services, and professionally
10 recognized best practices guidelines.
11 § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 207 of the public health law is amended
12 by adding a new paragraph (r) to read as follows:
13 (r) Sickle cell disease including but not limited to screening,
14 prevention, and treatment information. The department, through the
15 health equity council pursuant to section two hundred forty-three of
16 this article, or a successor council, shall consult with patients with
17 sickle cell disease and their families and health care providers
18 specializing in treating sickle cell disease, among others, in the
19 production of any such information.
20 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
