What's happening
This bill directs the New York health commissioner to study and report on non-medical use of obstetrical ultrasound procedures.
Why it matters
Addresses potential health risks. By examining the effects of prolonged or unnecessary exposure to ultrasound, the study could inform parents and expectant mothers about possible harms, especially as non-medical ultrasounds become more widely available.
Scrutinizes commercial practices. The bill specifically considers the growing number of businesses offering “keepsake” ultrasounds, highlighting concerns about the regulation and oversight of these operations, which often market directly to consumers without medical supervision.
Evaluates regulatory gaps. The study will assess whether current state requirements for operating and maintaining ultrasound machines are adequate, potentially revealing areas where public health laws or regulations may need to be strengthened.
Could lead to policy changes. By requiring recommendations for new rules or laws if necessary, the bill sets the stage for future restrictions or guidelines on non-medical ultrasounds, which could impact both businesses and consumers statewide.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Study Non-Medical Ultrasounds
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to health
- Referred to health
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
106
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 4, 2017
Introduced by Sen. HOYLMAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT directing the commissioner of health to conduct a study of the practice of obstetrical ultrasound procedures for non-medical and non-diagnostic purposes
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. a. The commissioner of health is directed to conduct a study of the practice of obstetrical ultrasound procedures for non-medical and non-diagnostic purposes. Subjects to be studied shall include, but not be limited to, the health impact of prolonged and/or unnecessary exposure to an ultrasound machine, the proliferation of businesses offering such services in the state, and the adequacy of the current requirements for operation and maintenance of ultrasound machines. The study shall contain any recommendations that the commissioner finds necessary for regulatory or statutory restrictions on the practice of non-medical and non-diagnostic obstetrical ultrasound procedures.
b. The commissioner of health shall report, publish and transmit his or her findings to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of the assembly, the temporary president of the senate and the minority leader of the senate on or before one year from the date this act shall take effect.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05905-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act directing the commissioner of health to conduct a study of the practice of obstetrical ultrasound procedures for non-medical and non-diagnostic purposes
Purpose or general idea of bill
This legislation would direct the Commissioner of Health to conduct a study analyzing the practice of conducting prolonged and/or unnecessary ultrasounds for non-medical and non-diagnostic purposes from both a medical and business perspective.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 of the bill requires the commissioner of health to conduct a study analyzing the impact of conducting prolonged and/or unnecessary ultrasounds for non-medical and non-diagnostic purposes on the health of the receiving individual, as well as analyzing the proliferation of business offering such services and the adequacy of the current requirements for maintenance and operation of ultrasound machines.
Section 2 of the bill provides that the act shall take effect immediately.
Justification
Obstetrical ultrasound procedures are an immensely useful medical tool to ensure the health of a mother and her fetus during pregnancy. When used for medical procedures, ultrasounds are considered to be safe and non-invasive, and help to confirm a pregnancy, determine whether vaginal bleeding is occurring, and monitor a fetus' heartbeat.
However, despite its usefulness, an ultrasound is still a procedure that should be administered by a licensed medical professional and should not be commercialized for the purposes of recording fetal "keepsake" videos and images. The FDA has released a statement urging people not to use ultrasound devices in this manner, as it is unclear what impact prolonged exposure to these devices might have on the health of the fetus and the mother. The FDA notes that ultrasounds can produce slight tissue heating and cavitation, the long-term health impacts of which are currently unknown.
This legislation would direct the commissioner of health to conduct a study of this practice, and determine the health impacts of the practice along with the proliferation of these kind of "keepsake" imaging businesses in the State of New York.
Prior legislative history
S.4972 of 2015-2016 (Hoylman): Died in Rules (2015)/Died in Health (2016)
Fiscal implications
None to the state.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.