S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9085
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 31, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. CLARK -- 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:
 
   Section 1. The commissioner of mental health shall establish a  mater-
 nal  mental  health workgroup (referred to in this section as the "work-
 group") within the office of mental health. The workgroup shall  consist
 of,  at  the  minimum,  the commissioner of mental health or his, her or
 their designee, the commissioner of the office of  children  and  family
 services  or his, her or their designee; the commissioner of the depart-
 ment of health or his,  her  or  their  designee;  representatives  from
 statewide  mental  health  organizations;  representatives from maternal
 health care provider organizations;  representatives  from  health  care
 provider organizations; representatives from the health insurance indus-
 try;  and any additional stakeholders that the commissioners deem neces-
 sary. At least one-third of  the  members  shall  be  from  historically
 underrepresented communities that are disproportionately impacted by the
 underdiagnoses of maternal mental health disorders.
   §  2.  Workgroup  members  shall  receive  no  compensation  for their
 services as members of the workgroup, but shall be reimbursed for  their
 actual  expenses incurred in the performance of their duties on the work
 group.   Reimbursement shall  allow  for  historically  underrepresented
 communities  to participate wholly in the performance of their duties on
 the workgroup by providing, if necessary, reimbursements for  reasonable
 expenses  incurred  that  may include, but not be limited to, childcare,
 travel, meals and lodging.
   § 3. It shall be the duty of the workgroup to study and  issue  recom-
 mendations  related to maternal mental health and perinatal and postpar-
 tum mood and anxiety disorders. The workgroup shall:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14145-03-2
 A. 9085                             2
 
   a. identify  underrepresented  and  vulnerable  populations  and  risk
 factors in the state for maternal mental health disorders that may occur
 during pregnancy and through the first postpartum year;
   b.  identify and recommend effective, culturally competent, and acces-
 sible prevention screening and identification and treatment  strategies,
 including  public  education and workplace awareness, provider education
 and training, and social support services;
   c. identify successful postpartum mental health initiatives  in  other
 states  and  recommend  programs, tools, strategies, and funding sources
 that are needed to implement similar initiatives in the state;
   d. identify and recommend evidence-based  practices  for  health  care
 providers and public health systems;
   e. identify and recommend private and public funding models;
   f.  make  recommendations  on legislation, policy initiatives, funding
 requirements and budgetary priorities to address maternal mental  health
 needs in the state;
   g. any other relevant issues identified by the workgroup; and
   h.  submit  a final report containing all findings and recommendations
 to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the  speaker  of
 the assembly, the commissioner of mental health, the commissioner of the
 office  of children and family services, the commissioner of the depart-
 ment of health, the minority leader of the senate and the minority lead-
 er of the assembly on or before December 31, 2022.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire two years
 after such effective date when upon such date the provisions of this act
 shall be deemed repealed.