Bill Text: NY S00813 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced

New York Senate Bill 813

Introduced

Bill Title: Requires the department of health to evaluate and make recommendations related to maternal health care and birthing best practices; repeals certain provisions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-13 - ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.87 [S00813 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-S00813-Introduced.html


                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                           813

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                       (Prefiled)

                                     January 8, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  WEBB  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules

        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 Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Section 1 of a chapter of the laws of  2024  requiring  the
     2  department  of  health  to  convene  a maternal health care and birthing
     3  standards workgroup, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.  7702-A
     4  and A. 8207-A, is REPEALED.
     5    § 2. Subdivisions 3 and 4 of section 2500 of the public health law are
     6  renumbered subdivisions 4 and 5 and a new subdivision 3 is added to read
     7  as follows:
     8    3. a. The commissioner shall, in conjunction with hospitals, obstetri-
     9  cians,  midwives,  doulas,  maternal health care provider organizations;
    10  mental health care provider organizations; and any additional stakehold-
    11  ers that the commissioner deems necessary, evaluate and make recommenda-
    12  tions related to the development of maternal health  care  and  birthing
    13  best  practices which support each patient receiving the highest quality
    14  of care. These recommendations shall include, but  not  be  limited  to,
    15  best practices for every patient to receive:
    16    (i)  fair,  courteous and respectful culturally competent care free of
    17  discrimination;

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02857-01-5

        S. 813                              2

     1    (ii) accurate and judgment-free advice and recommendations that  allow
     2  for  informed  decision making and consent regarding care and treatment,
     3  including risks, benefits, outcomes and alternative procedures;
     4    (iii)  clear,  concise  and  easily understood information about their
     5  care and treatment outcomes, medical  team  and  birthing  options,  the
     6  policies  and  procedures  of  the  hospital  or  birthing  center,  and
     7  resources available to them;
     8    (iv) an opportunity to discuss their birthing preferences  with  their
     9  care team and have such preferences documented; and
    10    (v)  adequate  support  during  their pregnancy, labor and childbirth,
    11  including access to doula and mental health services.
    12    b. No later than one year after the effective date of this subdivision
    13  the commissioner shall publish such recommendations on the department of
    14  health's website and update  all  relevant  materials  provided  to  the
    15  public through the department to reflect these standards. Such recommen-
    16  dations shall be updated at least once after publishing and as necessary
    17  thereafter.
    18    §  3. Section 2 of a chapter of the laws of 2024 requiring the depart-
    19  ment of health to convene a maternal health care and birthing  standards
    20  workgroup,  as  proposed  in  legislative bills numbers S. 7702-A and A.
    21  8207-A, is amended to read as follows:
    22    § 2. This act shall take effect on the [ninetieth] one hundred  eight-
    23  ieth  day  after  it  shall  have become a law [and shall expire 2 years
    24  after such effective date when upon such date the provisions of this act
    25  shall be deemed repealed].
    26    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately; provided,  however,  that
    27  sections  one and two of this act shall take effect on the same date and
    28  in the same manner as a chapter  of  the  laws  of  2024  requiring  the
    29  department  of  health  to  convene  a maternal health care and birthing
    30  standards workgroup, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.  7702-A
    31  and A. 8207-A, takes effect.