BILL NUMBER: S236

SPONSOR: HOYLMAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act directing the commissioner of health to conduct
a study of the practice of obstetrical ultrasound procedures for non-
medical and non-diagnostic purposes

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This legislation would direct the Commissioner of Health to conduct a
study analyzing the practice of conducting prolonged and/or unnecessary
ultrasounds for non-medical and non-diagnostic purposes from both a
medical and business perspective.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill requires the commissioner of health to conduct a
study analyzing the impact of conducting prolonged and/or unnecessary
ultrasounds for non-medical and non-diagnostic purposes on the health of
the receiving individual, as well as analyzing the proliferation of
business offering such services and the adequacy of the current require-
              

ments for maintenance and operation of ultrasound machines.

Section 2 of the bill provides that the act shall take effect immediate-
ly.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Obstetrical ultrasound procedures are an immensely useful medical tool
to ensure the health of a mother and her fetus during pregnancy. When
used for medical procedures, ultrasounds are considered to be safe and
non-invasive, and help to confirm a pregnancy, determine whether vaginal
bleeding is occurring, and monitor a fetus' heartbeat.

However, despite its usefulness, an ultrasound is still a procedure that
should be administered by a licensed medical professional and should not
be commercialized for the purposes of recording fetal "keepsake" videos
and images. The FDA has released a statement urging people not to use
ultrasound devices in this manner, as it is unclear what impact
prolonged exposure to these devices might have on the health of the
fetus and the mother. The FDA notes that ultrasounds can produce slight
tissue heating and cavitation, the long-term health impacts of which are
currently unknown.

This legislation would direct the commissioner of health to conduct a
study of this practice, and determine the health impacts of the practice
along with the proliferation of these kind of "keepsake" imaging busi-
nesses in the State of New York.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

S.0106 of 2017-2018 (Hoylman): Died in Health
S.4972 of 2015-2016 (Hoylman): Died in Rules (2015)/Died in Health
(2016)

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the state.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.