New York State Assembly

 
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A02581 Summary:

A02581 Actions:

A02581 Committee Votes:

Committee:HEALTH   Chair:Paulin      
DATE:01/21/2025AYE/NAY:20/6  Action: Favorable refer to committee Ways and Means        
Paulin
Aye
Jensen
Nay
Dinowitz
Aye
Gandolfo
Nay
Rosenthal
Aye
Blumencranz
Aye
Hevesi
Aye
Gray
Nay
Steck
Aye
Maher
Nay
Braunstein
Aye
Slater
Nay
Solages
Aye
Chludzinski
Nay
Bichotte Hermel
Aye
Norber
Aye
Sayegh
Aye
McDonald
Aye
Reyes
Aye
Gonzalez-Rojas
Aye
Rajkumar
Aye
Forrest
Aye
Kelles
Aye
Lucas
Aye
Meeks
Aye
Lunsford
Aye

Committee:WAYS AND MEANS   Chair:Pretlow      
DATE:01/22/2025AYE/NAY:24/10  Action: Favorable refer to committee Rules        
Pretlow
Aye
Ra
Nay
Glick
Aye
Fitzpatrick
Nay
Colton
Aye
Hawley
Nay
Cook
Aye
Blankenbush
Nay
Benedetto
Aye
Palmesano
Nay
Weprin
Aye
Walsh
Nay
Ramos
Aye
DeStefano
Nay
Braunstein
Aye
Manktelow
Nay
McDonald
Aye
Smullen
Nay
Rozic
Aye
Giglio
Nay
Dinowitz
Aye
Magnarelli
Aye
Bronson
Aye
Dilan
Aye
Seawright
Aye
Hyndman
Aye
Walker
Aye
Bichotte Hermel
Excused
Simon
Aye
Cruz
Aye
Otis
Aye
Solages
Aye
Hunter
Aye
Epstein
Aye
Septimo
Aye

Committee:RULES   Chair:Glick      
DATE:05/21/2025AYE/NAY:20/9  Action: Favorable         
Heastie
Excused
Barclay
Nay
Pretlow
Aye
Hawley
Nay
Cook
Aye
Blankenbush
Nay
Glick
Aye
Ra
Nay
Dinowitz
Aye
Brabenec
Nay
Colton
Aye
Palmesano
Nay
Magnarelli
Aye
Reilly
Nay
Paulin
Excused
Smith
Nay
Peoples-Stokes
Aye
Jensen
Nay
Benedetto
Aye
Lavine
Aye
Lupardo
Aye
Braunstein
Aye
Davila
Aye
Hyndman
Aye
Rozic
Aye
Bronson
Aye
Hevesi
Aye
Hunter
Aye
Taylor
Aye
Cruz
Aye
Vanel
Aye

A02581 Floor Votes:

A02581 Text:

 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                         2581--B
                                                                   R. R. 206
 
                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                    January 17, 2025
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A. GONZALEZ-ROJAS, EPSTEIN, BURDICK, R. CARROLL,
          BARRETT, KIM, HEVESI, DINOWITZ, SAYEGH,  O'PHARROW,  LUNSFORD,  REYES,
          BRONSON, CLARK -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health --
          reported  and  referred to the Committee on Ways and Means -- reported
          and referred to the Committee on Rules -- ordered to a  third  reading
          -- amended on the special order of third reading, ordered reprinted as
          amended,  retaining its place on the special order of third reading --
          again amended on special order of third  reading,  ordered  reprinted,
          retaining its place on the special order of third reading
 
        AN  ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to the creation of a
          women's  and  reproductive  health  services  education  and  outreach
          program
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Section 266 of the public health law, as added  by  chapter
     2  342  of  the  laws  of 2014, subdivision 2 as added and subdivision 3 as
     3  renumbered by chapter 76 of the laws of 2020, subdivisions 4  and  5  as
     4  added  by  chapter 66 of the laws of 2021, and subdivision 6 as added by
     5  chapter 653 of the laws of 2022, is amended to read as follows:
     6    § 266. [Department website] Women's and reproductive  health  services
     7  education  and  outreach program. 1.  There is hereby created within the
     8  department a women's and  reproductive  health  services  education  and
     9  outreach  program.  The  department shall conduct education and outreach
    10  for consumers, patients, educators, and health care providers related to
    11  women's and reproductive health services available  in  New  York  state
    12  including,  but  not  limited  to: preventative care, cancer screenings,
    13  access to services such as contraceptives and pregnancy testing, testing
    14  and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, and any other  repro-
    15  ductive  health  condition  or  information  the commissioner shall deem
    16  appropriate.
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD06611-07-5
        A. 2581--B                          2
 
     1    2. The department shall establish and maintain an internet website for
     2  the purpose of advancing women's health initiatives. The  website  shall
     3  provide  information  and  materials  for  the purposes of educating the
     4  public and raising awareness of women's health issues, provide links  to
     5  useful  resources and encourage the use of services now made more widely
     6  available to the women of New York state. The website shall also promote
     7  the following preventative services now covered pursuant to federal  law
     8  and  regulation,  and explain that such services must be covered with no
     9  cost sharing:
    10    (a) Anemia screening for pregnant women;
    11    (b) Bacteriuria urinary tract or other infection screening  for  preg-
    12  nant women;
    13    (c) BRCA counseling about genetic testing for women at higher risk;
    14    (d)  Breast  cancer  mammography screenings every one to two years for
    15  women over age forty;
    16    (e) Breast cancer chemoprevention counseling for women at higher risk;
    17    (f) Breastfeeding comprehensive support and  counseling  from  trained
    18  providers, as well as access to breastfeeding supplies, for pregnant and
    19  nursing women;
    20    (g) Cervical cancer screening for sexually active women;
    21    (h) Chlamydia infection screening for younger women and other women at
    22  higher risk;
    23    (i) Contraception: Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptive
    24  methods, sterilization procedures, and patient education and counseling,
    25  not including abortifacient drugs;
    26    (j)  Domestic  and interpersonal violence screening and counseling for
    27  all women;
    28    (k) Folic acid supplements for women who may become pregnant;
    29    (l) Gestational diabetes screening for women  twenty-four  to  twenty-
    30  eight  weeks  pregnant  and those at high risk of developing gestational
    31  diabetes;
    32    (m) Gonorrhea screening for all women at higher risk;
    33    (n) Hepatitis B screening for pregnant women at their  first  prenatal
    34  visit;
    35    (o)  Human  immunodeficiency  virus (HIV) screening and counseling for
    36  sexually active women;
    37    (p) Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA Test: high  risk  HPV  DNA  testing
    38  every  three years for women with normal cytology results who are thirty
    39  years of age or older;
    40    (q) Osteoporosis screening for women over age sixty depending on  risk
    41  factors;
    42    (r)  RH incompatibility screening for all pregnant women and follow-up
    43  testing for women at higher risk;
    44    (s) Tobacco  use  screening  and  interventions  for  all  women,  and
    45  expanded counseling for pregnant tobacco users;
    46    (t)  Sexually  transmitted  infections  (STI)  counseling for sexually
    47  active women;
    48    (u) Syphilis screening for  all  pregnant  women  or  other  women  at
    49  increased risk; [and]
    50    (v) Well-woman visits to obtain recommended preventive services[.
    51    2.];
    52    (w) Available counseling for reproductive health services;
    53    (x)  Access  to  reproductive health services and counseling via tele-
    54  health;
    55    (y) Resources for locating clinics that  provide  reproductive  health
    56  services and counseling for the services under this subdivision;
        A. 2581--B                          3
 
     1    (z)  Financial  assistance  available for reproductive health services
     2  and counseling for the services under this subdivision; and
     3    (aa)  Programs  for reproductive health services offered through other
     4  state agencies as defined by section four hundred one of  the  executive
     5  law.
     6    3.  The  department  may produce, make available to others for reprod-
     7  uction, or contract with others to develop  such  materials  under  this
     8  section as the commissioner deems appropriate. Such information shall be
     9  posted  on  the  website  in  a printable format, in each of the top six
    10  languages spoken in the state, other  than  English,  according  to  the
    11  latest available data from the United States Census Bureau, to allow all
    12  general  hospitals,  diagnostic  and  treatment  centers, obstetricians,
    13  primary care providers, midwives, and other health care programs provid-
    14  ing women's wellness  services  to  provide  the  information  to  their
    15  patients  as  part  of  their wellness education or prenatal care activ-
    16  ities.
    17    4. In exercising any of the commissioner's powers under this  section,
    18  the commissioner may consult with appropriate health care professionals,
    19  providers, consumers, educators and patients or organizations represent-
    20  ing them.
    21    5.  The  commissioner  shall ensure that all information and materials
    22  produced pursuant to this section are maintained and updated to  reflect
    23  best practice recommendations.
    24    6.  The  department  shall  also  consider  making use of social media
    25  networks for the purposes of advancing such initiatives.
    26    7. The commissioner shall develop and update as necessary  information
    27  on  possible  complications from pregnancy that can endanger the life or
    28  health of the newborn or the mother for purposes  of  advancing  women's
    29  health  initiatives,  pursuant to subdivision [one] two of this section.
    30  Such information shall be developed in consultation with  any  state  or
    31  local  government  maternal  mortality  review  boards  and  health care
    32  providers or other experts in the field of  women  and  newborn  health.
    33  Such  information  shall be posted on the website in a printable format,
    34  in each of the top  six  languages  spoken  in  the  state,  other  than
    35  English,  according  to the latest available data from the United States
    36  Census Bureau, to allow all general hospitals, diagnostic and  treatment
    37  centers,  obstetricians,  primary  care  providers,  midwives, and other
    38  health care programs providing women's wellness services to provide  the
    39  information  to  their  patients  as part of their wellness education or
    40  prenatal care activities.
    41    [3. The department shall also consider  making  use  of  social  media
    42  networks for the purposes of advancing such initiatives.
    43    4.]  8.  Information pursuant to subdivision two of this section shall
    44  include information related  to  pre-term  labor  and  premature  birth,
    45  including but not limited to definitions and information on the risks of
    46  pre-term labor and premature birth to the expectant mother and fetus, as
    47  well as signs and symptoms of pre-term labor. The information shall also
    48  include:
    49    (a)  a statement that the medical assistance program provides coverage
    50  for all income-eligible pregnant women residing in the state  regardless
    51  of immigration status; and
    52    (b)  a  statement  informing  individuals  of their right to request a
    53  hospital  discharge  review  in  accordance  with  section  twenty-eight
    54  hundred  three-i of this article if they believe they are being asked to
    55  leave a hospital too soon; and
        A. 2581--B                          4
 
     1    (c) a statement informing individuals that  hospitals  must  determine
     2  whether  an expectant mother is experiencing an emergency medical condi-
     3  tion, and upon making a diagnosis of  an  emergency  medical  condition,
     4  admit  the expectant mother to the general hospital or treat them in the
     5  emergency  room for close observation and continuous monitoring until it
     6  is deemed medically safe for discharge or transfer  in  accordance  with
     7  state  and  federal requirements including the federal Emergency Medical
     8  Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA).
     9    [5.] 9. The department  shall  develop  educational  materials  to  be
    10  provided to emergency room medical staff regarding the state and federal
    11  discharge and transfer requirements.
    12    [6.]  10.  Cytomegalovirus.  (a)  In  addition to information provided
    13  pursuant to this section, the commissioner shall also develop comprehen-
    14  sive informational materials, which shall include, but  not  be  limited
    15  to,  the  symptoms,  the  risks,  the transmission and the prevention of
    16  cytomegalovirus and the effects that such virus may have on  a  pregnant
    17  individual, an individual who may become pregnant, and children.
    18    (b) i. The commissioner shall distribute such cytomegalovirus informa-
    19  tional materials to:
    20    (1)  licensed  physicians  who practice obstetric and/or gynecology in
    21  this state; and
    22    (2) those licensed to  practice  midwifery  pursuant  to  article  one
    23  hundred forty of the education law.
    24    ii.  Such  physicians  or  midwives  shall provide the cytomegalovirus
    25  informational materials to each pregnant patient during  such  patient's
    26  first appointment with such physician or midwife.
    27    11. The department shall take all necessary steps to ensure the confi-
    28  dentiality of providers of these services and of the individuals receiv-
    29  ing  services  unless necessary for the purpose of referring individuals
    30  for reproductive health services.   A provider may  request  that  their
    31  information  be  omitted  from  dissemination  under  this  program. The
    32  commissioner may maintain aggregate, de-identified information, provided
    33  that no information  which  alone  or  in  combination  would  permit  a
    34  patient,  provider,  or an individual who sought, received, provided, or
    35  supported health care services under the program to be identified may be
    36  requested or shared.
    37    § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
    38  have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
    39  repeal  of  any  rule  or regulation necessary for the implementation of
    40  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made  and  completed
    41  on or before such effective date.