S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8542
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 20, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. HYNDMAN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Health
 
 AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to enacting the meno-
   pause awareness improvement act
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "menopause
 awareness improvement act".
   § 2. Legislative findings. Whereas, by 2030, the world  population  of
 menopausal  and  postmenopausal  people  is projected to increase to 1.2
 billion, with 27 million new entrants each year;
   Whereas, each year people in the United States  enter  the  menopausal
 transition  with  little  clinical guidance on what to expect during and
 after this transition;
   Whereas, according to the United States Department of Health and Human
 Services, at least three out of four people experience hot flashes,  the
 most common menopause symptom; and other symptoms including memory loss,
 urinary problems, sleep disturbances, depression, and anxiety;
   Whereas, menopausal symptoms can be severe and affect daily activities
 and  quality of life for an extended period, with hot flashes lasting an
 average of 7 to 9 years, and a third of  people  experiencing  vasomotor
 symptoms for a decade or longer;
   Whereas,  studies  show  that Black and Hispanic people may experience
 menopause earlier, with more intense  menopausal  symptoms,  and  for  a
 longer period of time;
   Whereas, as many as 40 percent of menopausal people say their symptoms
 interfered with their work performance or productivity weekly, and near-
 ly  one  in  five say they have left or considered leaving the workforce
 because of their symptoms;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10136-03-5
 A. 8542                             2
 
              

   Whereas, many people are unsure what  accommodations  their  employers
 offer  for  menopause  and  are unsure about workplace culture regarding
 menopause;
   Whereas,  menopause  symptoms  cost  American people an estimated $1.8
 billion in lost working time per year;
   Whereas, due to medical innovation, a variety of effective  treatments
 for symptoms are available to help address symptoms during perimenopause
 and  menopause,  including,  but  not  limited  to,  hormone therapy and
 nonhormone medication;
   Whereas, according to the United States Department of Health and Human
 Services,  menopause  may  increase  the  risk  of  osteoporosis,  heart
 disease, and stroke;
   Whereas,  there  is a need for additional clinical research and treat-
 ment options to manage menopause symptoms;
   Whereas, many physicians, including obstetricians  and  gynecologists,
 have  limited  time  to  assess  menopause  symptoms  during visits with
 patients; and
   Whereas, many physicians have limited training on menopause, and  only
 approximately  30  percent  of  obstetrician  and  gynecology  residency
 program directors report that menopause curriculum is part  of  resident
 training.
   § 3. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 267-c to
 read as follows:
   §  267-C. MENOPAUSE EDUCATION PROGRAM. 1. THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSUL-
 TATION WITH CLINICAL  PRACTITIONERS  AND  NONPROFIT  ORGANIZATIONS  THAT
 PROMOTE  THE HEALTH OF PEOPLE DURING MENOPAUSE, SHALL, ON OR BEFORE JULY
 FIRST,  TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-SEVEN,  ESTABLISH  A  MENOPAUSE  EDUCATION
 PROGRAM  TO  IMPROVE  PATIENT  AND  CLINICIAN AWARENESS OF THE MENOPAUSE
 TRANSITION.  THE DEPARTMENT SHALL CREATE INFORMATIONAL  MATERIALS  ABOUT
 MENOPAUSE  AND SHALL PERIODICALLY DISTRIBUTE THROUGHOUT THE STATE PUBLIC
 SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS USING NEWSPAPERS, TELEVISION, RADIO STATIONS,  THE
 INTERNET,  AND SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL AS IN-PERSON AND INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL
 PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS. SUCH INFORMATIONAL MATERIAL ABOUT MENOPAUSE SHALL
 INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, SYMPTOMS  AND  TRAJECTORIES  OF  CHANGES
 ACROSS  THE  MENOPAUSAL  TRANSITION  AND  THE POST-MENOPAUSE TRANSITION,
 RELATED CHRONIC CONDITIONS, AND THE ENTIRE RANGE  OF  TREATMENT  OPTIONS
 THAT  MAY  BE  PRESCRIBED  BY A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER FOR THOSE SYMPTOMS,
 CHANGES, AND CONDITIONS, AS WELL AS AVAILABLE  SCREENING  TOOLS.    SUCH
 MATERIALS  SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, DETAILED INFORMATION ON
 THE DIFFERENTIAL IMPACTS OF  THE  MENOPAUSE  TRANSITION  ACROSS  DIVERSE
 DEMOGRAPHIC  GROUPS,  INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, VARIATIONS BASED ON
 RACE, ETHNICITY, AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS.
   2. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL, ON OR BEFORE JANUARY  FIRST,  TWO  THOUSAND
 TWENTY-EIGHT AND EVERY YEAR THEREAFTER, SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR,
 THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY A
 QUALITATIVE   ASSESSMENT  OF  THE  MENOPAUSE  EDUCATION  PROGRAM  AND  A
 DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED THEREUNDER.
   § 4. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 267-d to
 read as follows:
   § 267-D. COURSE WORK OR TRAINING IN  MENOPAUSAL  HEALTH.  1.  (A)  THE
 DEPARTMENT,  IN  CONSULTATION  WITH CLINICAL PRACTITIONERS AND NONPROFIT
 ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROMOTE THE HEALTH OF PEOPLE  DURING  MENOPAUSE,  MAY
 CREATE  GUIDELINES  REGARDING  COURSE  WORK  OR  TRAINING  IN MENOPAUSAL
 HEALTH.  SUCH GUIDELINES SHALL BE CREATED IF THE DEPARTMENT, IN  CONSUL-
 TATION  WITH  CLINICAL  PRACTITIONERS  AND  NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT
 PROMOTE THE HEALTH OF PEOPLE DURING MENOPAUSE,  DETERMINES  THAT  PHYSI-
 A. 8542                             3
 
 CIANS  PRACTICING  IN THE STATE ARE NOT ADEQUATELY TRAINED ON MENOPAUSAL
 HEALTH ISSUES AND COURSE WORK OR TRAINING IN MENOPAUSAL HEALTH IS  NEED-
 ED.
   (B)  EVERY PHYSICIAN PRACTICING IN THE STATE SHALL, WITHIN ONE YEAR OF
 THE CREATION OF GUIDELINES REGARDING COURSE WORK OR TRAINING IN MENOPAU-
 SAL HEALTH UNDER PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION AND EVERY FOUR  YEARS
 THEREAFTER, COMPLETE COURSE WORK OR TRAINING, APPROPRIATE TO THE PROFES-
 SIONAL'S  PRACTICE,  APPROVED  BY  THE  DEPARTMENT  REGARDING MENOPAUSAL
 HEALTH. SUCH COURSE WORK OR TRAINING SHALL ALSO BE  COMPLETED  BY  EVERY
 MEDICAL  STUDENT AND MEDICAL RESIDENT IN THE STATE AS PART OF THE ORIEN-
 TATION PROGRAMS CONDUCTED  BY  MEDICAL  SCHOOLS  AND  MEDICAL  RESIDENCY
 PROGRAMS.
   (C)  EVERY  PHYSICIAN  SHALL  PROVIDE  TO THE DEPARTMENT DOCUMENTATION
 DEMONSTRATING THE COMPLETION OF AND COMPETENCE IN  THE  COURSE  WORK  OR
 TRAINING REQUIRED UNDER PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
   (D)  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL PROVIDE AN EXEMPTION FROM THE REQUIREMENTS
 IMPOSED BY PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS SUBDIVISION TO ANYONE WHO REQUESTS SUCH
 AN EXEMPTION AND WHO:  (I)  CLEARLY  DEMONSTRATES  TO  THE  DEPARTMENT'S
 SATISFACTION  THAT  THERE  WOULD  BE NO NEED FOR SUCH PERSON TO COMPLETE
 SUCH COURSE WORK OR TRAINING BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THEIR PRACTICE; OR
 (II) THAT SUCH PERSON HAS COMPLETED COURSE WORK OR  TRAINING  DEEMED  BY
 THE  DEPARTMENT  TO  BE  EQUIVALENT  TO THE STANDARDS FOR COURSE WORK OR
 TRAINING APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.  AN  INDI-
 VIDUAL  GRANTED  AN  EXEMPTION  MUST  REAPPLY TO CONTINUE SUCH EXEMPTION
 EVERY FOUR YEARS.
   2. THE DEPARTMENT MAY, SUBJECT TO  APPROPRIATION,  PROVIDE  GRANTS  TO
 ENTITIES  PROVIDING  COURSE  WORK OR TRAINING IN MENOPAUSAL HEALTH UNDER
 SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION FOR:
   (A) TRAINING ON COMMUNICATION AND MANAGEMENT  OF  MENOPAUSAL  SYMPTOMS
 AND RELATED CHRONIC CONDITIONS;
   (B) ESTABLISHING, MAINTAINING, OR IMPROVING ACADEMIC UNITS OR PROGRAMS
 THAT  PROVIDE  MENOPAUSAL HEALTH TRAINING, INCLUDING CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
 AND RESEARCH, TO IMPROVE THE ABILITY TO RECOGNIZE, DIAGNOSE,  AND  TREAT
 MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS AND RELATED CHRONIC CONDITIONS; AND
   (C)  DEVELOPING  EVIDENCE-BASED  PRACTICES  OR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE
 DESIGN OF PROGRAMS FOR  EDUCATION  ON  MENOPAUSE  SYMPTOMS  AND  RELATED
 CHRONIC CONDITIONS.
   §  5.  The commissioner of labor, in conjunction with the commissioner
 of health, shall conduct a study on the impact of menopause on the work-
 force and the breadth of menopause related workforce  policies,  includ-
 ing,  but  not limited to, health insurance coverage of therapeutics for
 menopause symptoms, access to menopause health care professionals, meno-
 pause awareness policies, healthcare spending accounts that can be  used
 for  menopause  related  services, and cooling rooms. Such commissioners
 shall also develop best practices for  workplaces  regarding  menopause.
 Such commissioners shall, within two years of the effective date of this
 act,  submit a report including such best practices to the governor, the
 temporary president of the senate, and the speaker of  the  assembly  on
 the  findings of such study and shall publish such report on the depart-
 ment of labor's website.
   § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.