S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                   1727
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 12, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. MOSLEY -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Higher Education
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the education law, in relation to the establishment of
   the interagency task force on health literacy
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1. Legislative intent. 1. It is the intent of the legislature
 to improve health care  access  and  outcomes,  and  reduce  unnecessary
 health  care spending by addressing the issue of health literacy. Health
 literacy is the degree to which an individual, or individuals, have  the
 capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health care information
 and services necessary for them to make appropriate health decisions.
   2. A patient's health literacy may be affected if they have low educa-
 tion  skills,  cultural  barriers  to  seeking  health  care, or limited
 English proficiency (LEP).   Demographically,  individuals  with  health
 literacy  challenges  often  are  represented  disproportionately in the
 following groups: older adults, minority and/or  immigrant  populations,
 lower-income populations, and medically underserved populations.
   3.  Although  New  York has some existing health literacy initiatives,
 the legislature finds that a  comprehensive  statewide  health  literacy
 task  force  is a necessary and valuable step toward eliminating as much
 as practicable the negative outcomes  that  health  literacy  challenges
 create in the state.
   §  2.  The  education  law is amended by adding a new section 238-b to
 read as follows:
   § 238-B. INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON HEALTH LITERACY. 1. THERE IS HEREBY
 ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, AN INTERAGENCY TASK
 FORCE ON HEALTH LITERACY TO BE ADMINISTERED ACCORDING TO THE  PROVISIONS
 OF  THIS  SECTION.  SUCH  TASK  FORCE  SHALL ASSIST THE HEALTH AND HUMAN
 SERVICE AGENCIES OF THIS STATE IN STUDYING HEALTH LITERACY AND  DEVELOP-
 ING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING HEALTH LITERACY IN THIS STATE.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD04019-01-7

 A. 1727                             2
 
   2.  THE  SUNY  CHANCELLOR SHALL APPOINT A MEMBER OF THE SUNY SCHOOL OF
 PUBLIC HEALTH FACULTY TO CHAIR THE TASK FORCE.
   3. THE FOLLOWING REPRESENTATIVES SHALL BE INVITED TO SERVE ON THE TASK
 FORCE:
   (A)  THREE  REPRESENTATIVES FROM STATE HOSPITALS TO BE SELECTED BY THE
 TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY;
   (B) THE COMMISSIONER OF THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH;
   (C) THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES;
   (D) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE MEDICAL SOCIETY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEW
 YORK;
   (E)  A  REPRESENTATIVE  FROM THE NEW YORK CHAPTER, AMERICAN ACADEMY OF
 PEDIATRICS;
   (F) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE NEW YORK COOPERATIVE EXTENSION;
   (G) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE ALBANY COLLEGE OF PHARMACY;
   (H) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE LONG  ISLAND  UNIVERSITY  A.M.  SCHWARTZ
 COLLEGE OF PHARMACY AND ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONS;
   (I)  A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO
 SCHOOL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES;
   (J) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE NEW YORK STATE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH CLIN-
 IC NETWORK;
   (K) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM  THE  NEW  YORK  STATE  OFFICE  OF  MINORITY
 HEALTH;
   (L)  A  REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE NEW YORK STATE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILI-
 TIES PLANNING COUNCIL;
   (M) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE HEALTH INSURANCE INDUSTRY;
   (N) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE EMPIRE STATE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION;
   (O) THE COMMISSIONER OF THE NEW YORK CITY  DEPARTMENT  OF  HEALTH  AND
 MENTAL HYGIENE;
   (P) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT FOR THE AGING;
   (Q)  A  REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE HEALTH LITERACY PROJECT PARTNERSHIP OF
 THE NEW YORK CITY MAYOR'S OFFICE AND UNITED WAY OF NEW YORK CITY; AND
   (R) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE NEW YORK STATE HEALTH FOUNDATION.
   4. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE
 FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "CHANCELLOR" SHALL MEAN THE CHANCELLOR  OF  THE  SUNY  SCHOOLS  OF
 PUBLIC HEALTH IN ALBANY.
   (B)  "HEALTH  LITERACY"  SHALL  MEAN  AN INDIVIDUAL'S ABILITY TO READ,
 UNDERSTAND, AND ACT APPROPRIATELY ON HEALTH CARE INFORMATION.
   (C) "TASK FORCE" MEANS THE INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON HEALTH LITERACY.
   5. THE TASK FORCE SHALL BE CHARGED WITH STUDYING  AND  EVALUATING  THE
 HEALTH LITERACY OF THE RESIDENTS OF THIS STATE. THE TASK FORCE SHALL:
   (A)  EXAMINE  THE  ABILITY  OF  RESIDENTS  TO  ACCESS AVAILABLE HEALTH
 SERVICES AND COMMUNICATE WITH HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS;
   (B) IDENTIFY BARRIERS THAT PREVENT RESIDENTS WITH LOW HEALTH  LITERACY
 FROM RECEIVING HEALTH CARE;
   (C) IDENTIFY GROUPS AT RISK FOR LOW HEALTH LITERACY;
   (D)  EXAMINE  WHETHER  PROVIDING APPROPRIATE HEALTH INFORMATION TO AND
 INCREASING THE HEALTH  LITERACY OF THE BENEFICIARIES  OF  PUBLIC  HEALTH
 SERVICES  WOULD  INCREASE  THE  EFFICIENCY  OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND
 DECREASE EXPENDITURES;
   (E) EXAMINE THE IMPACT ON HEALTH LITERACY OF:
   (I) RISING HEALTH CARE COSTS;
   (II) INCREASINGLY COMPLEX HEALTH TREATMENTS;
   (III) AN INDIVIDUAL'S AGE; AND
   (IV) CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY.

 A. 1727                             3

   6. THE SUNY SCHOOLS OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN ALBANY SHALL PROVIDE THE STAFF
 NECESSARY TO ASSIST THE TASK FORCE IN PERFORMING ITS DUTIES.
   7.  NO  LATER THAN DECEMBER FIFTEENTH, TWO THOUSAND EIGHTEEN, THE TASK
 FORCE SHALL REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE ON ITS FINDINGS UNDER  SUBDIVISION
 FIVE  OF  THIS  SECTION. IN ADDITION, THE REPORT SHALL INCLUDE A LIST OF
 PROPOSED RULES AND REGULATIONS AND ANY NECESSARY LEGISLATION.  THE  TASK
 FORCE  SHALL  ALSO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE LEGISLATURE ON STRATEGIES
 FOR:
   (A) IMPROVING THE HEALTH LITERACY OF THE RESIDENTS OF THIS STATE.
   (B) PROMOTING THE USE OF PLAIN LANGUAGE BY HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.
   (C) SIMPLIFYING THE ENROLLMENT  FORMS  AND  PROCEDURES  FOR  ACCESSING
 HEALTH  INSURANCE  PLANS  SERVING INDIVIDUALS IN GROUPS IDENTIFIED AS AT
 RISK FOR LOW HEALTH LITERACY.
   (D) DEVELOPING RESOURCES FOR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS  AND  RESIDENTS  OF
 THIS STATE TO INCREASE HEALTH LITERACY.
   (E)  DEVELOPING  PROGRAMS TO AID THE RESIDENTS OF THIS STATE IN UNDER-
 STANDING HEALTH CARE INFORMATION.
   (F) DEVELOPING EDUCATIONAL CURRICULA TO INCREASE HEALTH LITERACY.
   (G) DEVELOPING EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND PRINT AND ELECTRONIC INFORMATION  ON
 HEALTH ISSUES.
   (H) FUNDING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TASK FORCE.
   § 3. This act shall take effect December 1, 2017.