Requires certain information about the facility and what types of plans and procedures such facility has in place to be provided to prospective maternity patients.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5576
SPONSOR: Sillitti TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring certain
information about the facility to be included in the informational mate-
rial provided to prospective maternity patients at all hospitals and
birth centers
PURPOSE:
This legislation would require certain information about the facility to
be included in the informational material provided to prospective mater-
nity patients at all hospitals and birth centers.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 adds a new paragraph (n) to Subdivision 2 of section 2803-j of
the Public Health Law. This new language requires information related to
the conduct of safety drills, whether a facility participates in quality
improvement initiatives, whether an agreement haS a policy to arrange
emergency transfer if care for critically ill pregnant people/infants,
whether a facility has a written community needs assessment plan to
reduce racial disparities and address community needs, whether an autop-
sy is available upon request for stillbirth, and if bereavement services
are offered.
JUSTIFICATION:
This legislation seeks to provide information and to increase transpar-
ency as it relates to the racial disparities of pregnancy and birth
outcomes. Further this bill seeks to expand on an already existing law
that is aimed at presenting important information to prospective moth-
ers. There is significant evidence that expectant mothers in minority
communities are presented with limited options for prenatal care and
childbirth, we need to provide information to expectant mothers that
will help them make an informed decision. Statistics have presented
that black women are at least three times more likely to die from preg-
nancy and birth related complications and are 50% more likely to suffer
severe pregnancy and birth complications.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
S.534 of 2021; Passed Senate in 2021 & 2022
S.8726 of 2020; Referred to Senate Rules Committee
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 23 it
shall have become a law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5576
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 16, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SILLITTI -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring certain
information about the facility to be included in the informational
material provided to prospective maternity patients at all hospitals
and birth centers
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraph (m) of subdivision 2 of section 2803-j of the
2 public health law, as amended by chapter 431 of the laws of 2004, is
3 amended and six new paragraphs (n), (o), (p), (q), (r) and (s) are added
4 to read as follows:
5 (m) whether rooming-in is available in the facility, on the basis of
6 twenty-four hours a day or daytime[.];
7 (n) whether the facility conducts safety drills to prepare for obstet-
8 ric emergencies;
9 (o) whether the facility participates in quality improvement initi-
10 atives;
11 (p) whether the facility has an agreement and policy to arrange for
12 emergent transfer of care for critically ill pregnant people/infants to
13 higher levels of care (applicable only for those facilities that are not
14 the designated regional perinatal center or a quaternary or tertiary
15 care center with Level III-IV NICU);
16 (q) whether the facility has a written community needs assessment plan
17 to reduce racial disparities and address community needs;
18 (r) whether the facility offers, upon patient request, an autopsy for
19 stillbirth; and
20 (s) whether the facility offers bereavement support for patients that
21 have suffered a stillbirth or third trimester fetal loss.
22 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
23 it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02346-01-3
