Directs the commissioner of mental health to establish a maternal mental health workgroup to study and issue recommendations related to maternal mental health and perinatal and postpartum mood and anxiety disorders; identifies underrepresented and vulnerable populations and risk factors in the state for maternal mental health disorders that may occur during pregnancy and through the first postpartum year.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2944
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 1, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CLARK, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, KELLES, SIMON, JACKSON,
GLICK, MITAYNES -- read once and referred to the Committee on Mental
Health
AN ACT directing the commissioner of mental health to establish a mater-
nal mental health workgroup to study and issue recommendations related
to maternal mental health and perinatal and postpartum mood and anxie-
ty disorders; and providing for the repeal of such provision upon
expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The commissioner of mental health shall establish a mater-
2 nal mental health workgroup (referred to in this section as the "work-
3 group") within the office of mental health. The workgroup shall consist
4 of, at the minimum, the commissioner of mental health or his, her or
5 their designee, the commissioner of the office of children and family
6 services or his, her or their designee; the commissioner of the depart-
7 ment of health or his, her or their designee; representatives from
8 statewide mental health organizations; representatives from maternal
9 health care provider organizations; representatives from health care
10 provider organizations; representatives from the health insurance indus-
11 try; and any additional stakeholders that the commissioners deem neces-
12 sary. At least one-third of the members shall be from historically
13 underrepresented communities that are disproportionately impacted by the
14 underdiagnoses of maternal mental health disorders.
15 § 2. Workgroup members shall receive no compensation for their
16 services as members of the workgroup, but shall be reimbursed for their
17 actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties on the work
18 group. Reimbursement shall allow for historically underrepresented
19 communities to participate wholly in the performance of their duties on
20 the workgroup by providing, if necessary, reimbursements for reasonable
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04707-01-3
A. 2944 2
1 expenses incurred that may include, but not be limited to, childcare,
2 travel, meals and lodging.
3 § 3. It shall be the duty of the workgroup to study and issue recom-
4 mendations related to maternal mental health and perinatal and postpar-
5 tum mood and anxiety disorders. The workgroup shall:
6 a. identify underrepresented and vulnerable populations and risk
7 factors in the state for maternal mental health disorders that may occur
8 during pregnancy and through the first postpartum year;
9 b. identify and recommend effective, culturally competent, and acces-
10 sible prevention screening and identification and treatment strategies,
11 including public education and workplace awareness, provider education
12 and training, and social support services;
13 c. identify successful postpartum mental health initiatives in other
14 states and recommend programs, tools, strategies, and funding sources
15 that are needed to implement similar initiatives in the state;
16 d. identify and recommend evidence-based practices for health care
17 providers and public health systems;
18 e. identify and recommend private and public funding models;
19 f. make recommendations on legislation, policy initiatives, funding
20 requirements and budgetary priorities to address maternal mental health
21 needs in the state;
22 g. any other relevant issues identified by the workgroup; and
23 h. submit a final report containing all findings and recommendations
24 to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of
25 the assembly, the commissioner of mental health, the commissioner of the
26 office of children and family services, the commissioner of the depart-
27 ment of health, the minority leader of the senate and the minority lead-
28 er of the assembly on or before December 31, 2023.
29 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire two years
30 after such effective date when upon such date the provisions of this act
31 shall be deemed repealed.
