What's happening
This bill requires hospitals to give diapers, wipes, menstrual products, and optional formula to parents at newborn discharge.
Why it matters
Directly supports new parents across New York State. by ensuring all hospitals with maternity services must provide essential newborn and postpartum supplies at discharge, which can help ease financial and logistical burdens, especially for low-income families and those with limited access to such products.
Establishes statewide minimum standards. for the amount of diapers, wipes, menstrual products, and formula to be given, with the Department of Health setting these quantities—resulting in more consistent and equitable postpartum care regardless of a family's location or the hospital they use.
Maintains support for breastfeeding initiatives. by guaranteeing that hospitals’ participation in this program does not impact their eligibility for "breastfeeding friendly" designations, aiming to balance support for both breastfeeding and formula-feeding families without penalizing hospitals.
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Who cares
New Parents and Legal Guardians
Direct recipients of diapers, wipes, menstrual products, and optional infant formula, potentially easing the financial and logistical burdens of newborn care at hospital discharge.
Hospitals with Maternity Services
Responsible for compliance with the new requirements, including sourcing, stocking, and distributing the required supplies to families, and adapting protocols accordingly.
- Likely support
Low-Income Families and Maternal Health Advocates
Likely to benefit significantly from increased access to essential newborn and postpartum care products, and may support the legislation as a means to reduce health disparities.
Infant Formula and Disposable Product Manufacturers
May see increased demand for their products as hospitals become mandated purchasers and distributors under the new law.
Headline styles
Free Diapers and Formula at Discharge
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to health
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
11722
IN ASSEMBLY
September 16, 2026
Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Rosenthal) -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring hospitals to provide disposable diapers and wipes for newborns and menstrual products and offer infant formula for newborns at the time of discharge
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 2833 to read as follows:
§ 2833. Provision of diapers, wipes and formula to parents and legal guardians following childbirth. 1. Every hospital licensed pursuant to this article that provides maternity services shall, upon the discharge of a newborn following childbirth, provide the parents or legal guardian of such newborn with the following:
(a) a supply of disposable diapers and wipes for the newborn, in an amount to be determined by the department;
(b) a supply of menstrual products, in an amount to be determined by the department; and
(c) the option to receive a one-week supply of infant formula, at no cost, for the newborn.
2. Acceptance or refusal of such supplies shall be voluntary and at the sole discretion of the parents or legal guardian.
3. Compliance with the provisions of this section shall not affect a hospital's eligibility to participate in the department's breastfeeding friendly practice designation program.
4. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this section, including but not limited to:
(a) establishing the minimum quantity of disposable diapers, wipes, and menstrual products required to be provided pursuant to paragraphs (a) and (b) of subdivision one of this section; and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD16233-03-6
(b) defining a one-week supply of infant formula for purposes of this section, taking into account the nutritional needs of newborn infants and prevailing pediatric guidance.
§ 2. 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.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.