Rpld §2500-l, Pub Health L (as proposed in S.6662 & A.6987-A)
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.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
988
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 6, 2021
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Health
AN ACT to require 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; and to repeal section 2500-l of the public health law
relating thereto
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 2500-l of the public health law, as added by a
2 chapter of the laws of 2020 amending the public health law relating to
3 requiring the department of health of the state of New York to conduct a
4 study of the effects of racial and ethnic disparities on infant mortal-
5 ity and prepare and submit a report to the governor and the legislature,
6 as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.6662 and A.6987-A, is
7 REPEALED.
8 § 2. Study of the effects of racial and ethnic disparities on infant
9 mortality. 1. The department of health shall conduct a study on the
10 effects of racial and ethnic disparities on infant mortality. The
11 purpose of the study shall be to:
12 (a) identify statewide and regional infant death rates, trends,
13 patterns, and racial and ethnic disparities in adverse birth outcomes;
14 and
15 (b) provided that the department shall use its best efforts, identify
16 medical, non-medical, and system-related factors that may have contrib-
17 uted to infant deaths and treatment disparities to the extent practica-
18 ble; and
19 (c) review the extent to which racial and ethnic disparities in infant
20 mortality in a geographic area indicate the need to increase access to
21 health care services in that area; and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07168-01-1
A. 988 2
1 (d) identify ways to reduce or eliminate racial and ethnic disparities
2 that contribute to infant mortality.
3 2. In conducting the study, the department of health may seek the
4 advice of persons specializing in the fields of neonatal and post neona-
5 tal pathology, maternal and infant health, minority health advocacy, or
6 other related fields.
7 3. Within eighteen months after the effective date of this section,
8 the department of health shall prepare and submit to the governor, the
9 temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the
10 minority leader of the senate and the minority leader of the assembly a
11 report containing the study's findings concerning the effects of racial
12 and ethnic disparities on infant mortality and recommendations for
13 legislative or other actions that can be undertaken to:
14 (a) reduce infant mortality and improve birth outcomes in the state;
15 (b) reduce or eliminate racial and ethnic disparities that contribute
16 to infant mortality; and
17 (c) increase access to health care services in the state.
18 4. The department of health may prepare and submit additional reports
19 when the department deems it appropriate, and each report, with the
20 exception of the first report prepared under this section, shall addi-
21 tionally identify the extent to which the department's prior recommenda-
22 tions have been successfully implemented in practice and the apparent
23 impact that the implementation of such recommended changes has had on
24 infant mortality in the preceding years.
25 § 3. This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same
26 manner as a chapter of the laws of 2020 amending the public health law
27 relating to requiring the department of health of the state of New York
28 to conduct a study of the effects of racial and ethnic disparities on
29 infant mortality and prepare and submit a report to the governor and the
30 legislature, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.6662 and
31 A.6987-A, takes effect.
