S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                   1737
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 10, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
 
 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
 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.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD04019-01-7

 S. 1737                             2
 
   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;
   (II) INCREASINGLY COMPLEX HEALTH TREATMENTS;
   (III) AN INDIVIDUAL'S AGE; AND
   (IV) CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY.

 S. 1737                             3

   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 EIGHTEEN, THE TASK
 FORCE SHALL REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE ON ITS FINDINGS UNDER  SUBDIVISION
 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, 2017.