STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2944 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY February 1, 2023 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. CLARK, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, KELLES, SIMON, JACKSON, GLICK, MITAYNES -- read once and referred to the Committee on Mental Health AN ACT directing the commissioner of mental health to establish a mater- nal mental health workgroup to study and issue recommendations related to maternal mental health and perinatal and postpartum mood and anxie- ty disorders; and providing for the repeal of such provision upon expiration thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The commissioner of mental health shall establish a mater- 2 nal mental health workgroup (referred to in this section as the "work- 3 group") within the office of mental health. The workgroup shall consist 4 of, at the minimum, the commissioner of mental health or his, her or 5 their designee, the commissioner of the office of children and family 6 services or his, her or their designee; the commissioner of the depart- 7 ment of health or his, her or their designee; representatives from 8 statewide mental health organizations; representatives from maternal 9 health care provider organizations; representatives from health care 10 provider organizations; representatives from the health insurance indus- 11 try; and any additional stakeholders that the commissioners deem neces- 12 sary. At least one-third of the members shall be from historically 13 underrepresented communities that are disproportionately impacted by the 14 underdiagnoses of maternal mental health disorders. 15 § 2. Workgroup members shall receive no compensation for their 16 services as members of the workgroup, but shall be reimbursed for their 17 actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties on the work 18 group. Reimbursement shall allow for historically underrepresented 19 communities to participate wholly in the performance of their duties on 20 the workgroup by providing, if necessary, reimbursements for reasonable EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD04707-01-3A. 2944 2 1 expenses incurred that may include, but not be limited to, childcare, 2 travel, meals and lodging. 3 § 3. It shall be the duty of the workgroup to study and issue recom- 4 mendations related to maternal mental health and perinatal and postpar- 5 tum mood and anxiety disorders. The workgroup shall: 6 a. identify underrepresented and vulnerable populations and risk 7 factors in the state for maternal mental health disorders that may occur 8 during pregnancy and through the first postpartum year; 9 b. identify and recommend effective, culturally competent, and acces- 10 sible prevention screening and identification and treatment strategies, 11 including public education and workplace awareness, provider education 12 and training, and social support services; 13 c. identify successful postpartum mental health initiatives in other 14 states and recommend programs, tools, strategies, and funding sources 15 that are needed to implement similar initiatives in the state; 16 d. identify and recommend evidence-based practices for health care 17 providers and public health systems; 18 e. identify and recommend private and public funding models; 19 f. make recommendations on legislation, policy initiatives, funding 20 requirements and budgetary priorities to address maternal mental health 21 needs in the state; 22 g. any other relevant issues identified by the workgroup; and 23 h. submit a final report containing all findings and recommendations 24 to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of 25 the assembly, the commissioner of mental health, the commissioner of the 26 office of children and family services, the commissioner of the depart- 27 ment of health, the minority leader of the senate and the minority lead- 28 er of the assembly on or before December 31, 2023. 29 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire two years 30 after such effective date when upon such date the provisions of this act 31 shall be deemed repealed.