NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A4313
SPONSOR: Gunther
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to patient discharge
information concerning certain premature newborn infants
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill would require any hospital that provides birthing services to
provide written, educational material containing information about the
possible complications, proper care and support associated with newborn
infants who are born premature at less than thirty-seven weeks gesta-
tional age.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
New section 2803-v of the public health law is created requiring written
education information be provided by hospitals that provide birthing
services to those caring for newborn infants who are born premature at
less than thirty-seven weeks gestational age. This section sets stand-
ards for the content of the written material, including, but not limited
to: the unique health issues affecting infants born premature; the prop-
er care needs of premature infants; infectious disease awareness and
methods to prevent or minimize infections common to premature infants;
and community resources to assist parents and family members with the
care and support of premature infants. The section also requires that
the materials shall be written in clear language to educate parents of
premature infants across a variety of socioeconomic statuses and shall
be updated at least every 2 years.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The hospital discharge and follow-up care of premature infants needs to
be improved. A great amount of attention is focused on neonatal inten-
sive care of extremely premature infants, but those infants born late
preterm are often grouped with full-term infants, which places them at
risk in terms of continued follow-up care once discharged from the
hospital. Premature infants, even close to full-term are subjected to
greater health risks and significant differences in clinical outcomes
than full-term infants during birth and after hospitalization. It is
important for parents and caregivers to have the information on hand
after leaving the hospital with their infant to be educated on risks and
care for this vulnerable population. This bill would help improve the
healthcare quality and outcomes for infants born preterm by improving
hospital discharge and follow-up care of premature infants and reduce
re-hospitalization by providing written material and guidance to care-
givers of infants born premature.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-22: A5244 referred to Health/5182 referred to Health
2019-2020: A3618 referred to Health / S7020 referred to Health
2017-18: A399 referred to Health
2015-16: A1851 referred to Health
2013-14: A2266 referred to Health
2011-12: A2023 referred to Health
2009-10: A4715 referred to Health/S3837 referred to Health
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the state.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it
shall have become a law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4313
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 14, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. GUNTHER, BENEDETTO, COOK, COLTON, BRONSON,
STIRPE, McDONOUGH -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to patient discharge
information concerning certain premature newborn infants
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 2803-bb to read as follows:
3 § 2803-bb. Patient discharge information. 1. Any hospital that
4 provides birthing services shall provide written, educational material
5 containing information about the possible complications, proper care and
6 support associated with newborn infants who are born premature at less
7 than thirty-seven weeks gestational age. The written information shall
8 include but not be limited to, the following:
9 (a) The unique health issues affecting infants born premature, such
10 as: increased risk of developmental problems; nutritional challenges;
11 infection; chronic lung disease (bronchopulmonary dysplasia); vision and
12 hearing impairment; breathing problems; feeding; maintaining body
13 temperature; jaundice; hyperactivity; infant mortality and long-term
14 complications associated with fine motor skills, reading, writing, math-
15 ematics and speaking;
16 (b) The proper care needs of premature infants, developmental screen-
17 ings and monitoring and healthcare services available to premature
18 infants;
19 (c) infectious disease awareness and methods to prevent or minimize
20 infections common to premature infants; and
21 (d) Community resources to assist parents and family members with the
22 care and support of premature infants.
23 2. Such materials shall be written in clear language to educate
24 parents of premature infants across a variety of socioeconomic statuses
25 and shall be updated at least every two years.
26 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
27 it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06704-01-3