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Who cares
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Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 57
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to health
- Referred to health
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S5583
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring facili- ties to screen newborns for neonatal abstinence syndrome through toxico- logical screening of infants' meconium or urine
Purpose
This bill would require healthcare facilities to screen newborns for neonatal abstinence syndrome, which results from a fetus being exposed to opiates or narcotics while in the womb, through toxicological screen- ing.
Justification
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is a group of symptoms that occur in a newborn who was exposed to prescription or addictive illegal drugs while in the mother's womb during pregnancy. Newborns have an alarmingly high rate of testing positive for NAS as a result of high rates of addiction to narcotics and other drugs in many regions of New York State. It is in the public interest to address this public health crisis.
The number of newborns that are diagnosed with NAS has increased each year between 2010 and 2012, a rate of 83.8 per 10,000 births. In Western New York, the birthrate for babies born with a drug-related diagnosis is more than twice the statewide average. Per 10,000 babies born, there are 179 diagnosed with drug related symptoms in Western New York, the high- est rate in the state.
This bill would help lessen negative health outcomes for newborns by requiring a standardized statewide method for healthcare facilities to test for NAS in newborns. In some instances, newborns may not exhibit signs or symptoms until a week or two after birth. Requiring that newborns be tested would allow health care professionals to respond quickly and appropriately to positive test results.
Legislative history
New Bill.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces-
sary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.