Directs all hospitals, birthing centers, and licensed maternal health providers to establish structured postpartum care requirements for each patient prior to discharge, including but not limited to, scheduled follow-up care, cardiovascular screenings and maternal safety protocols, perinatal mental health screening and services, substance use disorder treatment access, and postpartum care navigation.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
11327
IN ASSEMBLY
May 11, 2026
___________
Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Blumencranz)
-- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing the
"MOM safety act - maternal outcomes modernization act" to improve
maternal health outcomes during the postpartum period through enhanced
screening, coordinated care, and standardized protocols
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "MOM safety act - maternal outcomes modernization act".
3 § 2. Legislative intent. The legislature hereby finds and declares
4 that:
5 1. Maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity remain urgent
6 public health crises in New York state and across the nation; and
7 2. A majority of maternal deaths occur during the postpartum period,
8 often within the first year following delivery; and
9 3. Cardiovascular disease, mental health conditions, including
10 suicide, and substance use disorders are among the leading causes of
11 maternal death; and
12 4. Postpartum care in its current form is fragmented and insufficient,
13 often limited to a single follow-up visit, failing to identify and
14 address preventable complications; and
15 5. There exists a critical need to modernize maternal care delivery by
16 establishing a structured "fourth trimester" model that ensures continu-
17 ity of care, standardized screening, and timely intervention; and
18 6. It is therefore the intent of the legislature to improve maternal
19 outcomes, reduce preventable deaths, and establish New York state as a
20 national leader in maternal health innovation by implementing comprehen-
21 sive postpartum care protocols, expanding access to mental health and
22 substance use treatment, and strengthening care coordination.
23 § 3. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 2500-n
24 to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15768-01-6
A. 11327 2
1 § 2500-n. Structured postpartum care requirements. 1. For the
2 purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following
3 meanings:
4 (a) "Postpartum period" shall mean the period beginning immediately
5 after delivery and continuing through twelve months following child-
6 birth.
7 (b) "Qualified maternal health provider" shall include obstetricians,
8 gynecologists, midwives, primary care providers, cardiologists, mental
9 health professionals, and any other licensed provider designated by the
10 department.
11 (c) "Perinatal mental health screening" shall mean the use of vali-
12 dated screening tools to assess depression, anxiety, suicide risk, and
13 related conditions during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
14 2. All hospitals, birthing centers, and licensed maternal health
15 providers to establish and implement a structured postpartum care plan
16 for each patient prior to discharge.
17 (a) Such plan shall include scheduled follow-up care at clinically
18 appropriate intervals, including but not limited to:
19 (i) Within three weeks postpartum;
20 (ii) At approximately six to eight weeks postpartum;
21 (iii) At three months postpartum;
22 (iv) At six months postpartum; and
23 (v) At twelve months postpartum.
24 (b) Providers shall ensure care coordination and documentation of
25 compliance with such follow-up schedule.
26 3.(a) For the purposes of cardiovascular screening and maternal safety
27 protocols, the department shall develop and promulgate standardized
28 cardio-obstetrics protocols applicable to:
29 (i) Obstetric providers;
30 (ii) Emergency departments;
31 (iii) Urgent care facilities; and
32 (iv) Primary care providers.
33 (b) Such protocols shall include, but not be limited to:
34 (i) Screening for cardiovascular risk factors and warning signs;
35 (ii) Guidance and/or training on atypical presentations of cardiovas-
36 cular disease in postpartum individuals; and
37 (iii) Referral pathways to specialty care.
38 4. All hospitals shall implement procedures to identify patients who
39 are pregnant or within the postpartum period and ensure appropriate
40 triage and evaluation.
41 5. (a) For the purposes of perinatal mental health screening and
42 services, all qualified maternal health providers shall conduct
43 universal perinatal mental health screenings:
44 (i) During pregnancy; and
45 (ii) At multiple intervals during the postpartum period.
46 (b) The department shall establish standards for screening tools and
47 frequency.
48 (c) The department, in coordination with the office of mental health,
49 shall develop programs to support:
50 (i) Integration of mental health services within obstetric care
51 settings;
52 (ii) Telehealth access to maternal mental health services; and
53 (iii) Care coordination and referral systems.
54 6. (a) For the purposes of substance use disorder treatment access,
55 the department, in coordination with the office of addiction services
A. 11327 3
1 and supports, shall establish standards to improve access to treatment
2 for pregnant and postpartum individuals, including, but not limited to:
3 (i) Medication-assisted treatment;
4 (ii) Peer support services; and
5 (iii) Family-centered and childcare-sensitive treatment models.
6 (b) Providers shall ensure referral pathways for individuals identi-
7 fied as needing substance use treatment.
8 7. For the purposes of postpartum care navigation, the department
9 shall establish or certify a postpartum care navigation program to
10 assist individuals in accessing services required pursuant to this
11 section. Such postpartum care navigation program shall:
12 (a) Assist with scheduling follow-up appointments;
13 (b) Provide education on warning signs;
14 (c) Coordinate referrals to specialty care; and
15 (d) Support continuity of insurance coverage.
16 8. (a) For the purposes of data collection and reporting, the depart-
17 ment shall collect and publish annual data regarding:
18 (i) Postpartum follow-up care compliance;
19 (ii) Cardiovascular screening rates;
20 (iii) Mental health screening rates;
21 (iv) Maternal morbidity and mortality outcomes; and
22 (v) Referrals and treatment utilization.
23 (b) Such data shall be disaggregated by relevant demographic factors
24 to identify disparities and inform policy improvements.
25 9. The commissioner is authorized to promulgate any rules and regu-
26 lations necessary to implement the provisions of this section.
27 § 4. Severability. If any provision of this act, or any application of
28 any provision of this act, is held to be invalid, that shall not affect
29 the validity or effectiveness of any other provision of this act, or of
30 any other application of any provision of this act, which can be given
31 effect without that provision or application; and to that end, the
32 provisions and applications of this act are severable.
33 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
