S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
3304
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
January 28, 2021
___________
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law and the mental hygiene law, in
relation to directing the commissioner of health and the commissioner
of developmental disabilities to promulgate rules and regulations
requiring every child beginning at the age of eighteen months to be
examined for autism spectrum disorders; and to repeal section 2500-j
of the public health law relating to screening children for autism
spectrum disorders
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 2500-j of the public health law is REPEALED.
§ 2. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 2500-m
to read as follows:
§ 2500-M. PEDIATRIC WELLNESS VISITS; SCREENING FOR AUTISM SPECTRUM
DISORDERS. 1. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL, JOINTLY WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, AND ON OR BEFORE MAY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND
TWENTY-THREE, PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS REQUIRING EVERY PEDIATRIC
PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER, CONDUCTING A WELLNESS AND PREVENTATIVE CARE EXAM-
INATION, ON OR AFTER SEPTEMBER FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-THREE, OF A
CHILD EIGHTEEN MONTHS OF AGE OR OLDER, TO SCREEN SUCH CHILD FOR AUTISM
SPECTRUM DISORDERS.
2. IN ADDITION, SUCH RULES AND REGULATIONS SHALL ESTABLISH GUIDELINES
AND PROTOCOLS FOR:
(A) THE BEST PRACTICES FOR THE SCREENING FOR AND DIAGNOSIS OF AUTISM
SPECTRUM DISORDERS;
(B) THE EMPLOYMENT OF OBJECTIVE AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER TOOLS; AND
(C) THE APPROPRIATE REFERRAL MECHANISM FOR CHILDREN, WHO BASED UPON
THE RESULTS OF SCREENING FOR AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS, REQUIRE FURTHER
EVALUATION.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07378-01-1
S. 3304 2
3. IF THE COMMISSIONER AND THE COMMISSIONER OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILI-
TIES SHALL FAIL TO PROMULGATE, ON OR BEFORE MAY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND
TWENTY-THREE, THE RULES AND REGULATIONS REQUIRED BY SUBDIVISIONS ONE AND
TWO OF THIS SECTION, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT THE RELE-
VANT FEDERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS RELATING THERETO.
§ 3. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section 16.39
to read as follows:
§ 16.39 PEDIATRIC WELLNESS VISITS; SCREENING FOR AUTISM SPECTRUM DISOR-
DERS.
THE COMMISSIONER SHALL, JOINTLY WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH, AND
ON OR BEFORE MAY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-THREE, PROMULGATE ANY AND
ALL RULES AND REGULATIONS REQUIRED BY SUBDIVISIONS ONE AND TWO OF
SECTION TWENTY-FIVE HUNDRED-M OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW RELATING TO THE
SCREENING OF CHILDREN FOR AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately, except that section one
of this act shall take effect September 1, 2023.