S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
6738
I N S E N A T E
February 2, 2010
___________
Introduced by Sens. HANNON, DeFRANCISCO, MORAHAN, VOLKER -- read twice
and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee
on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring the
department of health to collect data on premature and underweight
neonates and establishing a perinatal advisory council
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section
2507 to read as follows:
S 2507. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR PREMATURE AND UNDERWEIGHT NEONATES.
1. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL COLLECT AND MAINTAIN DATA PERTAINING TO PREMA-
TURE BIRTHS AND UNDERWEIGHT NEONATES. THE PERINATAL ADVISORY COUNCIL,
ESTABLISHED BY SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE
COMMISSIONER, SHALL DETERMINE WHAT DATA SHALL BE COLLECTED, BUT AT A
MINIMUM SUCH DATA SHALL INCLUDE: THE CIRCUMSTANCES, AND TYPES OF BIRTH,
MATERNAL AND NEONATE HEALTH FACTORS AND CONDITIONS. WITHIN ONE HUNDRED
EIGHTY DAYS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL
PROMULGATE ANY RULES AND REGULATIONS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE REPORT-
ING AND RECEIPT OF DATA REQUIREMENTS DESCRIBED IN THIS SUBDIVISION.
2. THE PERINATAL ADVISORY COUNCIL IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED AND SHALL BE
THE OVERSIGHT BODY FOR NEONATAL CARE IN THE STATE. SUCH COUNCIL SHALL BE
COMPOSED OF NINE MEMBERS WHO SHALL BE APPOINTED IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER:
TWO SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND ONE
BY THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE; TWO SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE
SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY AND ONE BY THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE ASSEMBLY;
AND TWO SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR. THE COMMISSIONER, OR HIS OR
HER DESIGNEE FROM AMONGST DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES, SHALL SERVE AS THE NINTH
MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL AND SHALL ALSO BE THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COUNCIL.
THE COUNCIL MEMBERS SHALL BE GEOGRAPHICALLY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE STATE.
ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES FOR THE COUNCIL SHALL BE ONE, BUT SHALL INCLUDE NO
MORE THAN TWO OF EACH, OF THE FOLLOWING: A PHYSICIAN, SPECIALIST ASSIST-
ANT, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT, NURSE, NURSE PRACTITIONER OR MIDWIFE, WHO BOTH
SPECIALIZES IN NEONATOLOGY AND IS LICENSED TO PRACTICE IN NEW YORK, A
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15424-01-0
S. 6738 2
NEONATAL RESEARCH SPECIALIST, AN EPIDEMIOLOGIST, AND A UNIVERSITY FACUL-
TY MEMBER WITH EXPERTISE IN BIOSTATISTICS, PUBLIC HEALTH, RESEARCH OR
DATA COLLECTION. AT LEAST ONE OF THE APPOINTMENTS MADE BY THE TEMPORARY
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY AND THE GOVERNOR
SHALL BE A MEMBER OF A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ORGANIZATION SPECIALIZING
IN RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY REGARDING PREMATURITY, BIRTH DEFECTS AND LOW
BIRTHWEIGHT ISSUES.
3. (A) THE PERINATAL ADVISORY COUNCIL SHALL HAVE ACCESS TO ALL DATA
COLLECTED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION, AS WELL AS TO
DATA COLLECTED AND MAINTAINED BY THE DEPARTMENT PURSUANT TO SECTIONS
TWENTY-FIVE HUNDRED-H OF THIS TITLE AND TWENTY-EIGHT HUNDRED SIXTEEN OF
THIS CHAPTER.
(B) THE PERINATAL ADVISORY COUNCIL SHALL MEET QUARTERLY OR MORE
FREQUENTLY, IF ITS BUSINESS SHALL REQUIRE, TO ANALYZE THE DATA DESCRIBED
IN PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION AND FILE A WRITTEN REPORT THEREON
ON OR BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF FEBRUARY OF EACH YEAR WITH THE TEMPORARY
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE GOVERNOR, THE
PUBLIC HEALTH COUNCIL, AND THE STATE HOSPITAL REVIEW AND PLANNING COUN-
CIL. SUCH ANALYSIS AND SUBSEQUENT REPORT SHALL INCLUDE REGIONAL ANALY-
SIS, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTIONS TO MINIMIZE THE NUMBER OF PREMATURE
BIRTHS AND UNDERWEIGHT NEONATES, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE
MEASURES, THE NEED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF REGIONAL
NEONATAL CARE CENTERS AND ANY OTHER INFORMATION THE COUNCIL DEEMS APPRO-
PRIATE TO CONSIDER AND INCLUDE. A COPY OF SUCH REPORT SHALL BE PUBLISHED
ON THE DEPARTMENT'S INTERNET WEBSITE.
(C) THE MEMBERS OF THE PERINATAL ADVISORY COUNCIL SHALL RECEIVE NO
COMPENSATION FOR THEIR SERVICES, BUT SHALL BE ALLOWED THEIR ACTUAL AND
NECESSARY EXPENSES INCURRED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES.
S 2. Subdivision 1 of section 2500-h of the public health law, as
added by chapter 314 of the laws of 2007, is amended to read as follows:
1. In order to support quality care at all hospitals with obstetric
services, the department is authorized to provide de-identified informa-
tion for all births at each affiliate hospital in each regional perina-
tal center's network to the regional perinatal center [and], the affil-
iate AND THE PERINATAL ADVISORY COUNCIL, except that such information
shall include zip code and a unique identifier such as medical record
number.
S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.