Relates to maternal depression screenings; requires maternal health care providers providing pre- and postnatal care or pediatric care to the mother's infant to invite the mother to fill out a questionnaire to detect maternal depression.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7138
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 10, 2017
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to maternal
depression screenings
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 2500-k of the public health law is
2 amended by adding a new paragraph (c) to read as follows:
3 (c) "Questionnaire" means an assessment tool administered by a
4 licensed health care professional, to detect maternal depression such as
5 the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the Postpartum Depression
6 Screening Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Patient Health Ques-
7 tionnaire, or other validated assessment methods as approved by the
8 commissioner.
9 § 2. Subdivision 3 of section 2500-k of the public health law is
10 renumbered subdivision 4 and a new subdivision 3 is added to read as
11 follows:
12 3. Maternal depression screenings. (a) Maternal health care providers
13 providing prenatal care at a prenatal visit shall invite each pregnant
14 patient to complete a questionnaire and shall review the completed ques-
15 tionnaire in accordance with the formal opinions and recommendations of
16 the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Assessment for
17 maternal depression must be repeated when, in the professional judgment
18 of the maternal health care provider, a reasonable possibility exists
19 that the pregnant patient suffers from maternal depression.
20 (b) Maternal health care providers providing postnatal care to women
21 shall invite each patient to complete a questionnaire and shall review
22 the completed questionnaire in accordance with the formal opinions of
23 the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Assessment for
24 maternal depression must be repeated when, in the professional judgment
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10834-01-7
A. 7138 2
1 of the maternal health care provider, a reasonable possibility exists
2 that the pregnant patient suffers from maternal depression.
3 (c) Maternal health care providers providing pediatric care to an
4 infant shall invite the infant's mother to complete a questionnaire at
5 any well-child check-up at which the mother is present prior to the
6 infant's first birthday, and shall review the completed questionnaire in
7 accordance with the formal opinions and recommendations of the American
8 College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, in order to ensure that the
9 health and well-being of the infant is not compromised by an undiagnosed
10 condition of maternal depression in the mother. Assessment for maternal
11 depression must be repeated when, in the professional judgment of the
12 maternal health care provider, a reasonable possibility exists that the
13 pregnant patient suffers from maternal depression.
14 (d) Consent from the mother must be obtained before a maternal health
15 care provider may share results from an assessment with the mother's
16 primary licensed health care professional, unless the mother is deter-
17 mined to present a danger to herself or others.
18 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
19 it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediate-
20 ly, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation
21 necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date is
22 authorized to be made and completed by the commissioner of health on or
23 before such effective date.