S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    879
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. BENJAMIN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to require the department of health of the state of New  York  to
   conduct  a  study  of  the effects of racial and ethnic disparities on
   infant mortality and prepare and submit a report to the  governor  and
   the legislature; and to repeal section 2500-l of the public health law
   relating thereto
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 2500-l of the public health  law,  as  added  by  a
 chapter  of  the laws of 2020 amending the public health law relating to
 requiring the department of health of the state of New York to conduct a
 study of the effects of racial and ethnic disparities on infant  mortal-
 ity and prepare and submit a report to the governor and the legislature,
 as  proposed  in  legislative  bills  numbers  S.6662  and  A.6987-A, is
 REPEALED.
   § 2. Study of the effects of racial and ethnic disparities  on  infant
 mortality.  1.  The  department  of  health shall conduct a study on the
 effects of racial  and  ethnic  disparities  on  infant  mortality.  The
 purpose of the study shall be to:
   (a)  identify  statewide  and  regional  infant  death  rates, trends,
 patterns, and racial and ethnic disparities in adverse  birth  outcomes;
 and
   (b)  provided that the department shall use its best efforts, identify
 medical, non-medical, and system-related factors that may have  contrib-
 uted  to infant deaths and treatment disparities to the extent practica-
 ble; and
   (c) review the extent to which racial and ethnic disparities in infant
 mortality in a geographic area indicate the need to increase  access  to
 health care services in that area; and
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07168-01-1

 S. 879                              2
 
   (d) identify ways to reduce or eliminate racial and ethnic disparities
 that contribute to infant mortality.
   2.  In  conducting  the  study,  the department of health may seek the
 advice of persons specializing in the fields of neonatal and post neona-
 tal pathology, maternal and infant health, minority health advocacy,  or
 other related fields.
   3.  Within  eighteen  months after the effective date of this section,
 the department of health shall prepare and submit to the  governor,  the
 temporary  president  of  the  senate,  the speaker of the assembly, the
 minority leader of the senate and the minority leader of the assembly  a
 report  containing the study's findings concerning the effects of racial
 and ethnic disparities  on  infant  mortality  and  recommendations  for
 legislative or other actions that can be undertaken to:
   (a) reduce infant mortality and improve birth outcomes in the state;
   (b)  reduce or eliminate racial and ethnic disparities that contribute
 to infant mortality; and
   (c) increase access to health care services in the state.
   4. The department of health may prepare and submit additional  reports
 when  the  department  deems  it  appropriate, and each report, with the
 exception of the first report prepared under this section,  shall  addi-
 tionally identify the extent to which the department's prior recommenda-
 tions  have  been  successfully implemented in practice and the apparent
 impact that the implementation of such recommended changes  has  had  on
 infant mortality in the preceding years.
   §  3.  This  act  shall  take  effect on the same date and in the same
 manner as a chapter of the laws of 2020 amending the public  health  law
 relating  to requiring the department of health of the state of New York
 to conduct a study of the effects of racial and  ethnic  disparities  on
 infant mortality and prepare and submit a report to the governor and the
 legislature,  as  proposed  in  legislative  bills  numbers  S.6662  and
 A.6987-A, takes effect.