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Who cares
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Sponsors
3 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to health
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing the office of complementary and alternative medicine and establishing its powers and duties
Purpose
To establish an Office of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the Department of Health to collect and disseminate information about complementary and alternative medicine.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of the bill creates a new title VI in Article 2 of the Public Health Law, entitled "Office of Complementary and Alternative Medicine", and comprised of sections 266-266-c. Section 266 provides applicable definitions, including a definition of "complementary and --alternative medicine." Section 266-a establishes an Office of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (the "Office"), which shall collect information concerning complementary and alternative medicine ("CAM"), provide information about CAM to health care professionals and patients, and make recommendations concerning CAM. Section 266-b requires the Office to submit biennial reports to the Governor and the Legislature concerning its activities. Section 266-c establishes a Complementary and Alternative Medicine Council to advise the office concerning CAM.
Section 2 of the bill provides that this act shall take effect immediately.
Existing law
There is no existing law on this subject matter.
Justification
Over the past 30 years, public interest in and use of complementary and alternative medicine ("CAM") systems, approaches, and products has risen steadily in the United States. As much as 43% of the U.S. Population may have used some form of CAM.
Many CAM treatments have yet to be scientifically tested. There needs to be evidence supporting their effectiveness. Information concerning how CAM treatments (including, for example, nutritional and herbal supplements) interact with more mainstream medical treatments is also needed.
In order to ensure quality care, it is therefore imperative that regulators, providers, and patients be thoroughly familiar with the range of CAM services, and that there be some form of oversight to ensure minimal standards of care be met by CAM practitioners. In March 2000, the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy was established to address issues related to access and delivery of CAM, priorities for research, and the need for better education of consumers and health care professionals about CAM. That Commission produced a report in March 2002, which, among other things, recommended that more information about CAM should be available to providers and patients.
This bill meets that challenge by building on existing efforts of the state Department of Health to establish a state Office of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the Department to collect information concerning CAM, provide information about CAM to health care professionals and patients (including information about the relative safety and effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine products and services), and make recommendations concerning CAM. It requires this Office to report on its activities to the Governor and the Legislature biennially, and it establishes a Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Council to advise the Office concerning CAM, thereby ensuring the Office will have the expertise necessary to best fulfill its purposes.
The Office will serve as the public's point of contact to.access information about CAM. The Office will collect and disseminate information to the public, media, and health care professionals to promote CAM awareness and education. The Office will not provide medical referrals, advice or recommendations about specific CAM practitioners, products, or therapies.
Legislative history
S.4666 (2007-2008) S.4788 (2005-2006) S.3188 (2003-2004) S.7206 (2002)
Fiscal implications
None.
Local fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.