BILL NUMBER: S6287

SPONSOR: MANNION
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the social services law, in relation to requiring child
care providers to be trained on the impacts and dangers of congenital
cytomegalovirus infection and the treatments and methods of prevention
of cytomegalovirus infection

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To require training for all childcare providers of the State on the
occurrence and transmission of Congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV), the
birth defects CMV can cause, methods of diagnosis, available preventa-
tive measures, treatment of CMV and other relevant resources available
for families of children born with CMV.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Amends subparagraphs (ix) and (x) of paragraph (b) of subdi-
vision 3 of section 390-a of the social services law by adding a new
              

subparagraph (xi) to expand the training requirements for operators,
program directors, employees and assistants of family day care homes,
group family day care homes and child day care centers to include the
occurrence and transmission of congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV)
infection, as well as birth defects that CMV can cause, methods for
diagnosis and treatment, and preventative measures for CMV.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection can lead to long term health
problems in babies and young children including hearing loss, develop-
mental and motor delay, vision loss, microcephaly and seizures. Accord-
ing to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most babies
with CMV never show any signs or health problems and some babies with
CMV have health problems that are apparent at birth or develop during
infancy/childhood. Some babies without signs of CMV at birth may have
hearing loss, which may be present at birth or develop later, even in
babies who passed the newborn hearing test.

Although CMV is common and poses a health risk to babies, young chil-
dren, child care providers and parents, the current law does not require
child care providers to be trained on the occurrence and transmission of
CMV. This legislation seeks to require all child care providers in the
State be trained on the transmission, occurrence, birth defects, methods
of diagnosis, available preventative measures, treatment of CMV and
other relevant resources available for families of children born with
CMV.

According to the CDC, in the United States, nearly one in three children
are already infected with CMV by the age of five and over half of adults
have been infected with CMV by age forty.  Additionally, once CMV is in
a person's body, it remains there for life and can reactivate with a
different strain of the virus. People with CMV may experience a fever,
sore throat, fatigue, swollen glands, mononucleosis or hepatitis and can
pass the virus to other adults through saliva, urine, blood, tears and
sexual contact.  Pregnant women can pass CMV to their unborn baby, as
the woman's blood can cross through the placenta and infect the baby or
through breast feeding.  Child care providers and parents of young chil-
dren are especially susceptible to this virus as it is common among
young children. The CDC recommends child care providers and parents
reduce contact with saliva and/or urine from babies and other young
children by not sharing food, utensils or cups and washing hands after
changing diapers, as the saliva and urine of children with CMV have high
amounts of the virus. This legislation will ensure that such recommenda-
tions are known to those who care for children and may be at risk for
contracting or carrying CMV.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

TBD.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
180 days after it shall have become law; authorization provided for
agency to add, amend or repeal any rule or regulation necessary for the
implementation of the act on or before the effective date.

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6287A

SPONSOR: MANNION
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the social services law, in relation to requiring child
care providers to be trained on the impacts and dangers of congenital
cytomegalovirus infection and the treatments and methods of prevention
of cytomegalovirus infection; and to amend the public health law, in
relation to requiring certain physicians to distribute informational
materials concerning cytomegalovirus

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This legislation will protect those most susceptible to cytomegalovirus
by requiring information be provided to childcare providers and people -
who are pregnant.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one titles the bill "Elizabeth's law".

              

Section two amends subparagraphs (ix) and (x) of paragraph (b) of subdi-
vision 3 of section 390-a of the social services law.

Section three amends the public health law by adding a new section 2523.
Section four sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Chapter 307 of the laws of 2018 requires that all newborns who fail
their initial hearing screening be tested for cytomegalovirus (CMV), a
common congenital viral infection and the leading non-genetic cause of
deafness in children. While most CMV infections do not cause harmful
side effects and those infected may not show any signs or symptoms, the
effects have the potential to be devastating to a fetus. 20,000 to
40,000 infants are born with CMV and nationwide roughly 400 children die
from CMV annually. Despite many infants appearing asymptomatic at birth,
at least 20 percent of those with CMV will develop permanent disabili-
ties, such as hearing loss, microcephaly, intellectual deficits and
vision abnormalities. CMV is commonly transmitted through contact with
saliva or urine, often from diaper-wearing children to adults. Pregnant
people who are infected with CMV can then transmit the virus to their
fetus in utero. Given the risks associated with CMV, it is important
that people who are pregnant or work closely with young children are
given the information necessary to keep themselves and their families
safe.  However, CMV remains a fairly unknown condition: a nationwide
survey found that less than half of obstetrician-gynecologists tell
pregnant patients how to avoid CMV. Greater education on how to avoid
CMV infection, such as avoiding sharing food or utensils with young
children and frequent hand washing, will aid in preventing countless CMV
infections.

This legislation will require that information on the risks associated
with and transmission of CMV be added to the training already required
of childcare providers and that the New York State Department of Health
provide informational materials on the risks and transmission of CMV to
obstetrician-gynecologists statewide to provide to pregnant patients
upon their initial visit.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

: TBD.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
180 days after it shall have become law; authorization provided for
agency to add, amend or repeal any rule or regulation necessary for the
implementation of the act on or before the effective date.

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6287B

SPONSOR: MANNION
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the social services law and the public health law, in
relation to requiring the provision of informational materials to child
care providers and certain physicians regarding the impacts and dangers
of congenital cytomegalovirus infection and the treatments and methods
of prevention of cytomegalovirus infection

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This legislation will protect those most susceptible to cytomegalovirus
by requiring information be provided to childcare providers and people
who are pregnant.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one titles the bill "Elizabeth's law".

Section two amends subparagraphs (ix) and (x) of paragraph (b) of subdi-
              

vision 3 of section 390-a of the social services law.

Section three amends the public health law by adding a new section 2523.

Section four sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Chapter 307 of the laws of 2018 requires that all newborns who fail
their initial hearing screening be tested for cytomegalovirus (CMV), a
common congenital viral infection and the leading non-genetic cause of
deafness in children. While most CMV infections do not cause harmful
side effects and those infected may not show any signs or symptoms, the
effects have the potential to be devastating to a fetus. 20,000 to
40,000 infants are born with CMV and nationwide roughly 400 children die
from CMV annually. bespite many infants appearing asymptomatic at birth,
at least 20 percent of those with CMV will develop permanent disabili-
ties, such as hearing loss, microcephaly, intellectual deficits and
vision abnormalities. CMV is commonly transmitted through contact with
saliva or urine, often from diaper-wearing children to adults. Pregnant
people who are infected with CMV can then transmit the virus to their
fetus in utero. Given the risks associated with CMV, it is important
that people who are pregnant or work closely with young children are
given the information necessary to keep themselves and their families
safe. However, CMV remains a fairly unknown condition: a nationwide
survey found that less than half of obstetrician-gynecologists tell
pregnant patients how to avoid CMV. Greater education on how to avoid
CMV infection, such as avoiding sharing food or utensils with young
children and frequent hand washing, will aid in preventing countless CMV
infections.

This legislation will require that information on the risks associated
with and transmission of CMV be added to the training already required
of childcare providers and that the New York State Department of Health
provide informational materials on the risks and transmission of CMV to
obstetrician-gynecologists statewide to provide to pregnant patients
upon their initial visit.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

TBD.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
180 days after it shall have become law; authorization provided for
agency to add, amend or repeal any rule or regulation necessary for the
implementation of the act on or before the effective date.