What's happening
This bill requires mandatory Type 1 diabetes screening for children showing symptoms during hospital or primary care visits in New York.
Why it matters
Aims to catch Type 1 diabetes early. By requiring screening for children with two or more diabetes symptoms during hospital or primary care visits, the bill seeks to identify diabetes at an earlier stage, potentially preventing severe complications like diabetic ketoacidosis.
Standardizes follow-up care. If a child’s initial (random blood sugar) or confirmatory (A1C) test is abnormal, the bill mandates that providers offer or refer for follow-up care, helping to ensure children with diabetes are not lost to follow-up and that families receive guidance and support.
Creates uniform procedures statewide. The law would require the health commissioner to develop rules for implementation, which could lead to more consistent practices and potentially reduce disparities in how diabetes is detected and managed in children across New York.
Protects provider autonomy. The bill specifically notes it does not alter the professional scope of practice for health care practitioners, meaning it aims to enhance screening without adding new legal risks or changing provider roles.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Test Kids for Diabetes
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
2094
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 12, 2017
Introduced by Sen. SEWARD -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to Type 1 diabetes testing of children
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 2500-l to read as follows:
§ 2500-l. Type 1 diabetes; testing of children. 1. Every child who receives health services as an inpatient in a general hospital defined in subdivision ten of section twenty-eight hundred one of this chapter or who receives primary care services in an outpatient department of such hospital or in a diagnostic and treatment center licensed under article twenty-eight of this chapter or from a physician, physicians assistant or nurse practitioner providing primary care who presents with two or more symptoms for Type 1 diabetes shall be provided a primary screening of a random blood sugar test.
2. Where a child's random blood sugar test indicates a high blood glucose reading, the health care provider shall conduct a glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test.
3. If the A1C test indicates diabetes, the health care provider shall either offer the child follow-up health care or refer the parent or guardian of the child to a health care provider who can provide followup health care.
4. This section shall not affect the scope of practice of a health care practitioner.
5. The commissioner shall promulgate such rules and regulations necessary to carry out the requirements of this section.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04875-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to Type 1 diabetes testing of children
Purpose
This bill will require type 1 diabetes testing of children receiving health services when they present with two or more symptoms.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends the public health law by adding a new section 2500-1 which provides for the testing of type 1 diabetes in children.
Section 2 is the effective date.
Justification
Most people are familiar with type 2 diabetes, but type 1 diabetes, formerly known as juvenile diabetes, is far less common. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) accounts for 5% of diabetes cases in the United States. The lack of awareness of type 1 diabetes, compounded with the fact that the signs and symptoms are often mistaken for the flu or strep throat leads too often to missed diagnoses. Untreated, TID causes serious complications or death.
According to the CDC, while there has been a decline in diabetes deaths rates among children in the past 30 years, there has also been an increase in the incidence of TID for U.S. children. Moreover, death rates have increased slightly in children between the ages of 10 and 19. These tragic deaths illustrate how dangerous undiagnosed T1D can be. The CDC's study demonstrates the need for improved diagnosis. As the condition can escalate quickly, it is imminent that T1D be diagnosed and treatment begin immediately. It is paramount to know the warning signs of the disease, including: increased thirst, Frequent urination, Extreme hunger, Unintended weight loss, fatigue and weakness, irritability and other mood changes, and blurred vision.
With timely diagnosis and proper care, a patient can live a normal life. With untimely diagnosis, a patient may lose his life. When children go to the doctor, a simple finger prick and one drop of blood is all that is needed to test for TID, rather than dismissing it as flu or strep. This legislation seeks to ensure timely diagnosis. By requiring the testing of any child who presents with two or more symptoms of TID, this legislation will increase awareness for TID and decrease childhood diabetes mortality rates.
Legislative history
S.6590 of 2016.
Effective date
180 days after becoming law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.