Relates to impact studies on tick-borne diseases; requires the department to issue a report examining the mental health impacts of tick-borne diseases and blood-borne pathogens on mental illness rates in endemic areas of the state.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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7171--A
Cal. No. 403
IN SENATE(Prefiled)
January 3, 2018
___________
Introduced by Sens. SERINO, HANNON, AMEDORE, AVELLA, BONACIC, CROCI,
HELMING, JACOBS, LARKIN, LITTLE, MARCHIONE, O'MARA, PHILLIPS, RANZEN-
HOFER, RITCHIE, SAVINO, SEWARD, TEDISCO, VALESKY -- read twice and
ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on
Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities -- reported favorably
from said committee, ordered to first and second report, ordered to a
third reading, passed by Senate and delivered to the Assembly,
recalled, vote reconsidered, restored to third reading, amended and
ordered reprinted, retaining its place in the order of third reading
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to impact studies on
tick-borne diseases
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section
2 207-a to read as follows:
3 § 207-a. Tick-borne diseases and blood-borne pathogen impact study.
4 1. The department, in conjunction with the commissioner of mental
5 health, shall issue a report examining the mental health impacts of
6 tick-borne diseases and blood-borne pathogens on mental illness rates in
7 endemic areas of the state. Such report shall include but not be limited
8 to:
9 (a) Considerations of how Lyme, tick-borne illnesses, and other blood-
10 borne pathogens or vector-borne diseases may have correlations with
11 mental illness in infected individuals;
12 (b) Populations at-risk including those individuals with occupations
13 outdoors and/or increased exposure to vectors;
14 (c) Diagnostic indicators of mental illness that can be used as guid-
15 ance for healthcare providers and mental health practitioners;
16 (d) Historical considerations of infection rates and mental illness
17 indicators that may have gone undiagnosed or misdiagnosed in endemic
18 areas; and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13692-05-8
S. 7171--A 2
1 (e) Recommendations for intervention and coordinated care for individ-
2 uals who exhibit mental illness symptoms as well as those who have both
3 physical and mental health indicators.
4 2. Such report shall be submitted to the temporary president of the
5 senate and the speaker of the assembly no later than October first, two
6 thousand nineteen. The department and the commissioner of mental health
7 may engage stakeholders in the compilation of the report, including but
8 not limited to, medical research institutions, health care practition-
9 ers, mental health providers, county and local government, and advo-
10 cates.
11 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
