What's happening
This bill requires the New York Department of Health to evaluate and recommend best practices for maternal health care and birthing, replacing a previous workgroup mandate.
Why it matters
Shifts from a temporary workgroup to an ongoing Department of Health (DOH) responsibility. , meaning maternal health care standards will be regularly reviewed and updated, not just studied once and forgotten—potentially leading to more responsive and current care practices.
Explicitly requires input from a broad range of stakeholders. (including hospitals, obstetricians, midwives, doulas, mental health providers, and others the commissioner deems necessary), which could lead to more comprehensive and inclusive recommendations that better reflect the needs of diverse patients.
Focuses recommendations on patient-centered outcomes. , such as culturally competent care, clear communication, informed consent, and documented birthing preferences, as well as access to doulas and mental health services—directly addressing persistent issues like discrimination, lack of information, and support gaps in maternal healthcare.
Mandates public transparency and accountability. , requiring the DOH to publish recommendations online and update all public materials accordingly, which can empower patients with information and encourage healthcare providers to align with updated best practices.
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Who cares
Department of Health
The commissioner would have to develop maternal care and birthing best-practice recommendations with stakeholders, publish them within one year and update relevant public materials.
Hospitals, obstetricians and midwives
They would help develop recommendations covering informed consent, clear treatment information and documentation of patients’ birthing preferences.
Doulas and mental health care provider organizations
They would participate in developing recommendations that address access to doula and mental health services during pregnancy, labor and childbirth.
Pregnant and birthing patients
The recommendations would address respectful, culturally competent care free of discrimination, informed decision-making and support for birthing preferences.
Headline styles
Improve Maternal Birth Care
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Signed chap.28
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to assembly
- Passed senateVote 59–0
- 3rd reading cal.87
- Substituted for S813
- Referred to rules
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.15
- Rules report cal.15
- Reported
Show 2 earlier actions
- Reported referred to rules
- Referred to health
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.
Strengthen Maternal Care Standards
Senate Floor Calendar · Sponsor Lea Webb
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
914
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by M. of A. CLARK -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring the department of health to evaluate and make recommendations related to maternal health care and birthing best practices; to amend a chapter of the laws of 2024 requiring the department of health to convene a maternal health care and birthing standards workgroup, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 7702-A and A. 8207-A, in relation to the effectiveness thereof; and to repeal section 1 of such chapter
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 1 of a chapter of the laws of 2024 requiring the department of health to convene a maternal health care and birthing standards workgroup, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 7702-A and A. 8207-A, is REPEALED.
§ 2. Subdivisions 3 and 4 of section 2500 of the public health law are renumbered subdivisions 4 and 5 and a new subdivision 3 is added to read as follows:
3. a. The commissioner shall, in conjunction with hospitals, obstetricians, midwives, doulas, maternal health care provider organizations; mental health care provider organizations; and any additional stakeholders that the commissioner deems necessary, evaluate and make recommendations related to the development of maternal health care and birthing best practices which support each patient receiving the highest quality of care. These recommendations shall include, but not be limited to, best practices for every patient to receive:
(i) fair, courteous and respectful culturally competent care free of discrimination;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02857-01-5
(ii) accurate and judgment-free advice and recommendations that allow for informed decision making and consent regarding care and treatment, including risks, benefits, outcomes and alternative procedures;
(iii) clear, concise and easily understood information about their care and treatment outcomes, medical team and birthing options, the policies and procedures of the hospital or birthing center, and resources available to them;
(iv) an opportunity to discuss their birthing preferences with their care team and have such preferences documented; and
(v) adequate support during their pregnancy, labor and childbirth, including access to doula and mental health services.
b. No later than one year after the effective date of this subdivision the commissioner shall publish such recommendations on the department of health's website and update all relevant materials provided to the public through the department to reflect these standards. Such recommendations shall be updated at least once after publishing and as necessary thereafter.
§ 3. Section 2 of a chapter of the laws of 2024 requiring the department of health to convene a maternal health care and birthing standards workgroup, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 7702-A and A. 8207-A, is amended to read as follows:
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the [ninetieth] one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law [and shall expire 2 years after such effective date when upon such date the provisions of this act shall be deemed repealed].
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that sections one and two of this act shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2024 requiring the department of health to convene a maternal health care and birthing standards workgroup, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 7702-A and A. 8207-A, takes effect.
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.