Assembly Bill A7955

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7955
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 29, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. WALKER -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Health
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  public  health law, in relation to children and
   recovering mothers
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 the "children and recovering mothers (CHARM) act".
   § 2. Article 25 of the public health law is amended by  adding  a  new
 title 4-A to read as follows:
                                 TITLE 4-A
                      CHILDREN AND RECOVERING MOTHERS
 SECTION 2576. RECOVERING EXPECTANT MOTHER PROGRAM.
         2577. NEWBORN SCREENING.
         2578. PROVIDER EDUCATION.
         2579. WORKGROUP.
   § 2576. RECOVERING  EXPECTANT  MOTHER  PROGRAM.  THERE SHALL BE ESTAB-
 LISHED A RECOVERING EXPECTANT  MOTHERS  PROGRAM  WITHIN  THE  DEPARTMENT
 WHEREBY THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF ALCO-
 HOLISM  AND  SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES, SHALL PROVIDE GUIDANCE, EDUCATION
 AND ASSISTANCE TO PROVIDERS CARING  FOR  RECOVERING  EXPECTANT  MOTHERS,
 WHICH SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   1.  ESTABLISHING, IN CONSULTATION WITH RELEVANT HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS,
 GUIDANCE ON UNIVERSAL SCREENING TECHNIQUES FOR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER AT
 PRENATAL VISITS. SUCH GUIDANCE SHALL RELY ON VALIDATED  SCREENING  TOOLS
 AND QUESTIONNAIRES AND UTILIZE LANGUAGE TO HELP REDUCE STIGMA;
   2.  PROVIDING  INFORMATION REGARDING USE OF MEDICATION ASSISTED TREAT-
 MENT FOR PREGNANT  WOMEN,  WHICH  SHALL  INCLUDE  INFORMATION  REGARDING
 BUPRENORPHINE  TRAINING,  TOOLS FOR PROVIDERS ON EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF
 WOMEN WITH OPIOID USE DISORDER IN PREGNANCY,  AND  A  REFERRAL  LIST  OF
 CERTIFIED PROVIDERS;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD11778-01-9

 A. 7955                             2
 
   3.  PROVIDING  REFERRAL  INFORMATION  FOR  SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELING,
 SOCIAL SUPPORT AND BASIC NEEDS REFERRALS, WHICH SHALL ALSO INCLUDE GUID-
 ANCE ON REFERRING WOMEN TO HOME  VISITING  SERVICES  THAT  THEY  MAY  BE
 ELIGIBLE FOR AFTER BIRTH; AND
   4.  DEVELOPING  A  SYSTEM  FOR RAPID CONSULTATION AND REFERRAL LINKAGE
 SERVICES FOR OBSTETRICIANS AND  PRIMARY  CARE  PROVIDERS  STATEWIDE  WHO
 PROVIDE CARE FOR EXPECTANT MOTHERS WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER.
   § 2577. NEWBORN  SCREENING.  THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE
 COMMISSIONER OF ALCOHOLISM AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES,  SHALL  DEVELOP
 GUIDANCE  FOR  HOSPITALS  AND MIDWIFERY BIRTH CENTERS ON NEONATAL ABSTI-
 NENCE SYNDROME WHICH SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED  TO,  APPROPRIATE
 TREATMENT  METHODS  FOR  NEONATAL ABSTINENCE SYNDROME AND INFORMATION ON
 HOME VISITING SERVICES THAT RECOVERING MOTHERS MAY BE ELIGIBLE  FOR,  AS
 WELL  AS OTHER SUBSTANCES ABUSE SERVICES, SOCIAL SUPPORTS AND BASIC NEED
 REFERRALS IN THE COMMUNITY.
   § 2578. PROVIDER EDUCATION. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL DEVELOP OR  APPROVE
 A  CONTINUING  MEDICAL  EDUCATION  COURSE FOR NEONATAL NURSES, OBSTETRI-
 CIANS, MIDWIVES, PEDIATRICIANS, AND OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS  REGARD-
 ING  TREATMENT  OF  EXPECTANT  MOTHERS  AND  NEW  MOTHERS SUFFERING FROM
 SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, AND THE TREATMENT  OF  NEWBORNS  SUFFERING  FROM
 NEONATAL  ABSTINENCE  SYNDROME,  WHICH  MAY  INCLUDE  FEDERALLY APPROVED
 BUPRENORPHINE TRAINING, IN ORDER TO  FACILITATE  COMPREHENSIVE  PRENATAL
 AND POSTPARTUM CARE TO THIS POPULATION.
   § 2579.   WORKGROUP. THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COMMIS-
 SIONER OF ALCOHOLISM AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES, SHALL CONVENE A WORK-
 GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED  TO,  HOSPITALS,  LOCAL
 HEALTH   DEPARTMENTS,   OBSTETRICIANS,   MIDWIVES,   PEDIATRICIANS,  AND
 SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROVIDERS TO STUDY AND  EVALUATE  CURRENT  BARRIERS  AND
 CHALLENGES  IN IDENTIFYING AND TREATING EXPECTANT MOTHERS, NEWBORNS, AND
 NEW PARENTS WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER. THE WORKGROUP SHALL  REPORT  ON
 ITS FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COMMISSIONER, THE SPEAKER OF THE
 ASSEMBLY  AND  THE  TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE WITHIN ONE YEAR OF
 THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
 have  become a law. Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or
 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary  for  the  implementation  of
 this  act  on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
 on or before such date.