Directs commissioner of health and commissioner of the office for people with developmental disabilities to require pediatric care providers to screen for autism; repealer

1 Co-sponsor

• Mark Grisanti

BILL NUMBER:S3404

Title of bill

An act to amend the public health law and the mental hygiene law, in relation to directing the commissioner of health and the commissioner of the office for people with developmental disabilities to promulgate rules and regulations requiring every child beginning at the age of eighteen months to be examined for autism spectrum disorders; and to repeal section 2500-j of the public health law relating to screening children for autism spectrum disorders

Purpose

Requires the commissioner of the office for people with developmental disabilities and the commissioner of health to promulgate rules and regulations set forth by section 2500-k, which shall require primary care providers to conduct autism spectrum disorder (ASD) screening during annual wellness and preventative care examination for children over the age of 18 months.

Summary of provisions

Section 1 repeals section 2500-j of the public health law.

Section 2 amends the public health law by adding section 2500-k instructing the commissioner of health and the commissioner of the office of people with developmental disabilities to promulgate rules and regulations requiring all pediatric primary care providers to conduct ASD screening and preventative care examination of children over the age of eighteen months.

This section also establishes requirements for the rules and regulations including: best practices for screening and diagnosis, the use of objective autism spectrum disorder tools, and the appropriate referral mechanism based upon initial screening.

Section 3 requires that the commissioners promulgate all rules and regulations required by subdivisions one and two of section 2500-k of the public health law relating to the screening of children for ASD.

Section 4 establishes the effective date.

Justification

Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability in the nation. In fact, since 1992, there has been more than seven fold increase in the number of children in New York State diagnosed with autism. Autism varies widely in its severity and symptoms and may go unrecognized, especially in mildly affected children.

According to a study by the London School of Economics, the cost of lifelong care can be reduced by 2/3 with early diagnosis and intervention. Section 2500-k requires pediatric primary care providers to conduct a wellness and preventative care examination for children beginning at 18 months of age.

Doctors rely on a core group of behaviors to alert them to the possibility of a diagnosis of autism.

Legislative history

2009-2010: S.6201/A.8251 Died in Health.

Fiscal implication

None.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately, except that section one of this act shall take effect September 1, 2012.