What's happening
This bill requires hospitals to provide information on pregnancy complications and mandates updated screenings and referrals for maternal health threats.
Why it matters
Expands the information hospitals must provide to new parents. by specifically including details about complications from pregnancy that could endanger either the mother or newborn, aiming to raise awareness of risks that may not be widely known.
Mandates ongoing updates to patient materials. , requiring the state health commissioner, in consultation with maternal mortality review boards, to regularly review and revise these informational leaflets, ensuring that families receive the most current, evidence-based guidance.
Broadens required screenings and referrals. for maternal and newborn health, not just limiting hospitals to “necessary” assessments, but also “appropriate” ones, potentially increasing early detection of life-threatening postpartum complications and improving referral processes to specialist care.
Ensures no additional charges for these enhanced services. , making it clear that hospitals cannot bill separately for the expanded education, screening, or referral services, which may make access to critical postpartum support more equitable.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Disclose Pregnancy Complication Risks
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Substituted by A2957A
- Ordered to third reading cal.1770
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Print number 4637a
- Amend and recommit to women's issues
- Referred to women's issues
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Require Pregnancy Risk Warnings
Signed by Governor · Sponsor Diana Richardson
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4637--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 18, 2019
Introduced by Sen. MONTGOMERY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Women's Issues -committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to providing information on possible complications from pregnancy; and in relation to screenings and referrals for serious threats to life after pregnancy
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 2803-j of the public health law is amended by adding a new subdivision 1-e to read as follows:
1-e. The informational leaflet shall also include information on possible complications from pregnancy that can endanger the life or health of the newborn or the mother. The commissioner, in consultation with any state or local government maternal mortality review boards, shall review and update this information as necessary.
§ 2. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 1 of section 2803-n of the public health law, as amended by chapter 199 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
(b) Maternity care shall also include, at minimum, parent education, assistance and training in breast or bottle feeding, education on maternal depression, education on maternal depression screening and referrals, and the performance of any necessary or appropriate maternal and newborn clinical assessments and screenings and appropriate referrals. Notwithstanding this requirement, nothing in this paragraph is intended to result in the hospital charging any amount for such services in addition to the applicable charge for the maternity inpatient hospital admission.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04513-03-9
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 providing information on possible complications from pregnancy; and in relation to screenings and referrals for serious threats to life after pregnancy
Purpose
To ensure that the Department of Health is taking steps to lower the State's maternal mortality rate by ensuring that pregnant women and new mothers receive information on complications that could lead to death.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends § 2803of the Public Health Law to mandate that leaflets provided to maternity patients include information about serious compli- cations that could lead to death. The commissioner shall consult with any official boards mandated to review an investigate maternal mortality to ensure that information is correct and up to date.
Section 2 amends § 2803-n to ensure that the parental information include information on screenings for conditions identified to present serious threats to the health of mothers in the first year after preg- nancy.
Section 3 establishes an effective date.
Justification
Since the year 200C, the maternal mortality rate in the United States as a whole has increased from a rate of 19 to 24 deaths per every 100,000 births.
According to the Department of Health, in New York City, the rate was 25 deaths per 100,000 births in 2013 and in New York State the rate was an alarming 31 deaths per 100,300 births. Both of these rates were an increase from the rate the state and city experienced in 2006. The sad fact that maternal mortality rates in the United States and New York have been on the rise while the rest of the world as a whole continues to see a decline is heart-wrenching.
In addition, the scourge of maternal mortality does not affect all women the same. African American women suffer from maternal mortality at much higher rates than women of other races in this country while health authorities have not collected the necessary data to explain and correct this horrible disparity.
The reality is that New York can take steps to change this shameful trajectory. One basic step needed is to ensure that pregnant women and new mothers are provided with information about issues and complications that may seem benign but could in fact lead to maternal mortality. The state already mandates that several types of information be provided to pregnant women and new mothers and this bill would add information about issues that can lead to maternal death to the types of information that must be provided to the public.
Legislative history
New Legislation
Fiscal implications
Fiscal implications to be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect 90 days after it has become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment, and/or repeal of any rule or regu- lation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized 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.