Enacts the "refuting false knowledge act" relating to establishing a medical misinformation task force within the department of health to combat medical misinformation provided by the federal government.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9226
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
November 3, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to enacting the
"refuting false knowledge act"
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 "refuting false knowledge act".
3 § 2. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 25 to
4 read as follows:
5 § 25. Medical misinformation task force. 1. There is hereby estab-
6 lished within the department a medical misinformation task force to
7 combat medical misinformation provided by the federal government.
8 2. (a) The medical misinformation task force shall consist of fifteen
9 members to be appointed by the governor, the speaker of the assembly,
10 and the temporary president of the senate, and such members shall serve
11 for terms of four years.
12 (b) Members of the medical misinformation task force shall have:
13 (i) demonstrated leadership at the national and/or state level in:
14 (1) the critical evaluation of research published in peer reviewed
15 literature and in the methods of evidence review;
16 (2) clinical prevention, health promotion and primary health care;
17 and/or
18 (3) implementation of evidence-based recommendations in clinical prac-
19 tice, including at the clinician-patient level, practice level, and
20 health system level; and
21 (ii) expertise in:
22 (1) health equity;
23 (2) communication in providing findings to multiple audiences;
24 (3) decision modeling;
25 (4) application of science to health policy; and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13828-03-5
A. 9226 2
1 (5) crisis management.
2 (c) Organizations may make nominations to the governor, the speaker of
3 the assembly, and the temporary president of the senate for individuals
4 to be appointed as members of the medical misinformation task force. All
5 such nominations shall include:
6 (i) the nominee's resume;
7 (ii) the nominee's address and contact information;
8 (iii) a description of how the nominee meets the qualifications for
9 members of the medical misinformation task force as enumerated in this
10 subdivision; and
11 (iv) a description of how the nominee would contribute to the task
12 force.
13 (d) All appointees to the medical misinformation task force shall fill
14 out a conflict of interest disclosure to eliminate potential profes-
15 sional or financial conflicts.
16 3. The medical misinformation task force shall create and issue guide-
17 lines on ways to communicate medical information to state agencies and
18 the public within ninety days of the creation of the medical misinforma-
19 tion task force.
20 4. The medical misinformation task force shall coordinate planned and
21 rapid response medical announcements and campaigns to the public and to
22 state and local agencies, organizations, hospitals, and clinics, in
23 response to medical misinformation provided by the federal government.
24 5. The medical misinformation task force shall aid in the creation and
25 dissemination of medical literacy information including, but not limited
26 to, pamphlets and social media and other online resources, that conform
27 to state health recommendations about topics including vaccine efficacy,
28 birth control, abortion care, fertility treatments, pregnancy, and other
29 medical information.
30 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
