Senate Bill S2281

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S2281

SPONSOR: CLEARE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to patient discharge
information concerning certain premature newborn infants

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill would require any hospital that provides birthing services to
provide written, educational material containing information about the
possible complications, proper care and support associated with newborn
infants who are born premature at less than thirty-seven weeks gesta-
tional age.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

New section 2803-v of the public health law is created requiring written
education information be provided by hospitals that provide birthing
services to those caring for newborn infants who are born premature at
less than thirty-seven weeks gestational age. This section sets stand-
              

ards for the content of the written material, including, but not limited
to: the unique health issues affecting infants born premature; the prop-
er care needs of premature infants; infectious disease awareness and
methods to prevent or minimize infections common to premature infants;
and community resources to assist parents and family members with the
care and support of premature infants. The section also requires that
the materials shall be written in clear language to educate parents of
premature infants across a variety of socioeconomic statuses and shall
be updated at least every 2 years.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The hospital discharge and follow-up care of premature infants needs to
be improved. A great amount of attention is focused on neonatal inten-
sive care of extremely premature infants, but those infants born late
preterm are often grouped with full-term infants, which places them at
risk in terms of continued follow-up care once discharged from the
hospital. Premature infants, even close to full-term are subjected to
greater health risks and significant differences in clinical outcomes
than full-term infants during birth and after hospitalization. It is
important for parents and caregivers to have the information on hand
after leaving the hospital with their infant to be educated on risks and
care for this vulnerable population. This bill would help improve the
healthcare quality and outcomes for infants born preterm by improving
hospital discharge and follow-up care of premature infants and reduce
re-hospitalization by providing written material and guidance to care-
givers of infants born premature.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

S. 7020/A. 3618 of 2019/20; Referred to Health Committee

2017-18: A399 referred to Health

2015-16: A1851 referred to Health

2013-14: A2266 referred to Health
2011-12: A2023 referred to Health

2009-10: A4715 referred to Health/S3837 referred to Health

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the state.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it
shall have become a law.