S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  1407--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 11, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. PARKER, HOYLMAN, JACKSON -- read twice and ordered
   printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Higher
   Education  --  recommitted  to  the  Committee  on Higher Education in
   accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 --  committee  discharged,  bill
   amended,  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
   tee
 
 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

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD08185-02-2
              

 S. 1407--A                          2
 
 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.
   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;
 S. 1407--A                          3
 
   (II) INCREASINGLY COMPLEX HEALTH TREATMENTS;
   (III) AN INDIVIDUAL'S AGE; AND
   (IV) CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY.
   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 TWENTY-THREE, THE
 TASK FORCE SHALL REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE ON ITS FINDINGS UNDER  SUBDI-
 VISION  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, 2022.