Establishes the interagency task force on health literacy, to study health literacy and develop recommendations for improving health literacy in this state.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1380
SPONSOR: Simon TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to the establishment of
the interagency task force on health literacy
PURPOSE:
To increase the knowledge of health literacy in the State of New York so
that its' citizens can make more informed health decisions.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
The education law is amended by adding a new section (238-b), interagen-
cy task force on health literacy. This subsection establishes within the
State University of New York, an interagency task force on health liter-
acy to be administered according to the provisions of this section. The
task force shall assist the health and human service agencies of this
state in studying health literacy and developing recommendations for
improving health literacy in this state. The SUNY Chancellor shall
appoint a member of the SUNY school of public health faculty to chair
the task force.
Subsection (3) of section 238-b stipulates who shall be invited to serve
on the task force. Three representatives from state hospitals selected
by the temporary president of the Senate and Speaker of The Assembly.
The commissioners of the New York State Department of Health and of
Children and Family Services; representative from the Medical Society of
the State of New York, the New York Chapter of American Academy of
Pediatrics; the New York Cooperative Extension; The Albany College of
Pharmacy; the Long Island University A.M, Schwartz College of Pharmacy
and Allied Health Professions; the State University of New York at
Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; the New York
State office of Minority Health; the New York State Developmental Disa-
bilities Planning Council; the Health Insurance Industry; the Empire
State Medical Association; the Commissioner of the New York City Depart-
ment of Health and Mental Hygiene; the New York City Department for the
Aging; the Health Literacy Project Partnership of the New York City
Mayor's office and United Way of New York City, and the New York State
Health Foundation.
Subsection (4) details what the task force shall do once it has identi-
fied groups at risk for low health literacy; examine whether providing
appropriate health information to and increase the health literacy of
the beneficiaries of public health services would increase the efficien-
cy of health care providers and decrease expenditures. Exa mine the
impact on health literacy of rising costs, increasingly complex health
treatments, an individual's age, and cultural and linguistic diversity.
JUSTIFICATION:
Although New York has some existing health literacy initiatives, the
legislature finds that a comprehensive statewide health literacy task
force is a necessary and valuable step toward eliminating as much as
practicable the negative outcomes that health literacy challenges create
in the state. Health literacy shall mean an individual's ability to
read, understand, and act appropriately on health care information. Task
force shall mean the interagency task force on health literacy. The task
force's responsibilities shall include but not limited to studying and
evaluating the health literacy of the residents of this state; in doing
so the task force will determine whether providing appropriate health
information to and increasing the health literacy of the beneficiaries
of public health services would increase the efficiency of health care
providers and decrease expenditures.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: A.2244 Simon -referred to higher education
2021-22: A.10363 Simon -referred to higher education
2019-20: A5886 Mosley -referred to higher education
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The fiscal impacts for this bill are non-negotiable in that members of
the appointed task force are honorific and, at best, the only expense is
the publication of the findings.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect December 1, 2025.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1380
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 9, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SIMON, REYES -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the establishment of
the interagency task force on health literacy
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Legislative intent. 1. It is the intent of the legislature
2 to improve health care access and outcomes, and reduce unnecessary
3 health care spending by addressing the issue of health literacy. Health
4 literacy is the degree to which an individual, or individuals, have the
5 capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health care information
6 and services necessary for them to make appropriate health decisions.
7 2. A patient's health literacy may be affected if they have low educa-
8 tion skills, cultural barriers to seeking health care, or limited
9 English proficiency (LEP). Demographically, individuals with health
10 literacy challenges often are represented disproportionately in the
11 following groups: older adults, minority and/or immigrant populations,
12 lower-income populations, and medically underserved populations.
13 3. Although New York has some existing health literacy initiatives,
14 the legislature finds that a comprehensive statewide health literacy
15 task force is a necessary and valuable step toward eliminating as much
16 as practicable the negative outcomes that health literacy challenges
17 create in the state.
18 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 238-b to
19 read as follows:
20 § 238-b. Interagency task force on health literacy. 1. There is hereby
21 established within the state university of New York, an interagency task
22 force on health literacy to be administered according to the provisions
23 of this section. Such task force shall assist the health and human
24 service agencies of this state in studying health literacy and develop-
25 ing recommendations for improving health literacy in this state.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02751-01-5
A. 1380 2
1 2. The SUNY Chancellor shall appoint a member of the SUNY school of
2 public health faculty to chair the task force.
3 3. The following representatives shall be invited to serve on the task
4 force:
5 (a) Three representatives from state hospitals to be selected by the
6 temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly;
7 (b) The commissioner of the New York state department of health;
8 (c) The commissioner of the office of children and family services;
9 (d) A representative from the Medical Society of the state of New
10 York;
11 (e) A representative from the New York Chapter, American Academy of
12 Pediatrics;
13 (f) A representative from the New York Cooperative Extension;
14 (g) A representative from the Albany College of Pharmacy;
15 (h) A representative from the Long Island University A.M. Schwartz
16 College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions;
17 (i) A representative from the State University of New York at Buffalo
18 School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences;
19 (j) A representative from the New York State Occupational Health Clin-
20 ic Network;
21 (k) A representative from the New York state office of minority
22 health;
23 (l) A representative from the New York state developmental disabili-
24 ties planning council;
25 (m) A representative from the health insurance industry;
26 (n) A representative from the Empire State Medical Association;
27 (o) The commissioner of the New York City department of health and
28 mental hygiene;
29 (p) A representative from the New York City department for the aging;
30 (q) A representative from the Health Literacy Project partnership of
31 the New York City mayor's office and United Way of New York City; and
32 (r) A representative from the New York state health foundation.
33 4. For the purposes of this section the following terms shall have the
34 following meanings:
35 (a) "Chancellor" shall mean the chancellor of the SUNY schools of
36 public health in Albany.
37 (b) "Health literacy" shall mean an individual's ability to read,
38 understand, and act appropriately on health care information.
39 (c) "Task force" means the interagency task force on health literacy.
40 5. The task force shall be charged with studying and evaluating the
41 health literacy of the residents of this state. The task force shall:
42 (a) Examine the ability of residents to access available health
43 services and communicate with health care providers;
44 (b) Identify barriers that prevent residents with low health literacy
45 from receiving health care;
46 (c) Identify groups at risk for low health literacy;
47 (d) Examine whether providing appropriate health information to and
48 increasing the health literacy of the beneficiaries of public health
49 services would increase the efficiency of health care providers and
50 decrease expenditures;
51 (e) Examine the impact on health literacy of:
52 (i) Rising health care costs;
53 (ii) Increasingly complex health treatments;
54 (iii) An individual's age; and
55 (iv) Cultural and linguistic diversity.
A. 1380 3
1 6. The SUNY schools of public health in Albany shall provide the staff
2 necessary to assist the task force in performing its duties.
3 7. No later than December fifteenth, two thousand twenty-six the task
4 force shall report to the legislature on its findings under subdivision
5 five of this section. In addition, the report shall include a list of
6 proposed rules and regulations and any necessary legislation. The task
7 force shall also make recommendations to the legislature on strategies
8 for:
9 (a) Improving the health literacy of the residents of this state.
10 (b) Promoting the use of plain language by health care providers.
11 (c) Simplifying the enrollment forms and procedures for accessing
12 health insurance plans serving individuals in groups identified as at
13 risk for low health literacy.
14 (d) Developing resources for health care providers and residents of
15 this state to increase health literacy.
16 (e) Developing programs to aid the residents of this state in under-
17 standing health care information.
18 (f) Developing educational curricula to increase health literacy.
19 (g) Developing easy-to-understand print and electronic information on
20 health issues.
21 (h) Funding the recommendations of the task force.
22 § 3. This act shall take effect December 1, 2025.
