S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    317
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              January 4, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. WALKER -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Health
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  public  health law, in relation to children and
   recovering mothers
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 the "children and recovering mothers (CHARM) act".
   § 2. Article 25 of the public health law is amended by  adding  a  new
 title 4-A to read as follows:
                                 TITLE 4-A
                      CHILDREN AND RECOVERING MOTHERS
 SECTION 2576. RECOVERING EXPECTANT MOTHER PROGRAM.
         2577. NEWBORN SCREENING.
         2578. PROVIDER EDUCATION.
         2579. WORKGROUP.
   § 2576. RECOVERING  EXPECTANT  MOTHER  PROGRAM.  THERE SHALL BE ESTAB-
 LISHED A RECOVERING EXPECTANT  MOTHERS  PROGRAM  WITHIN  THE  DEPARTMENT
 WHEREBY  THE  COMMISSIONER,  IN  CONSULTATION  WITH  THE COMMISSIONER OF
 ADDICTION SERVICES AND SUPPORTS, SHALL PROVIDE GUIDANCE,  EDUCATION  AND
 ASSISTANCE  TO  PROVIDERS CARING FOR RECOVERING EXPECTANT MOTHERS, WHICH
 SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   1. ESTABLISHING, IN CONSULTATION WITH RELEVANT HEALTH CARE  PROVIDERS,
 GUIDANCE ON UNIVERSAL SCREENING TECHNIQUES FOR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER AT
 PRENATAL  VISITS.  SUCH GUIDANCE SHALL RELY ON VALIDATED SCREENING TOOLS
 AND QUESTIONNAIRES AND UTILIZE LANGUAGE TO HELP REDUCE STIGMA;
   2. PROVIDING INFORMATION REGARDING USE OF MEDICATION  ASSISTED  TREAT-
 MENT  FOR  PREGNANT  WOMEN,  WHICH  SHALL  INCLUDE INFORMATION REGARDING
 BUPRENORPHINE TRAINING, TOOLS FOR PROVIDERS ON EFFECTIVE  MANAGEMENT  OF
 WOMEN  WITH  OPIOID  USE  DISORDER  IN PREGNANCY, AND A REFERRAL LIST OF
 CERTIFIED PROVIDERS;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01029-01-3
              

 A. 317                              2
 
   3. PROVIDING REFERRAL  INFORMATION  FOR  SUBSTANCE  ABUSE  COUNSELING,
 SOCIAL SUPPORT AND BASIC NEEDS REFERRALS, WHICH SHALL ALSO INCLUDE GUID-
 ANCE  ON  REFERRING  WOMEN  TO  HOME  VISITING SERVICES THAT THEY MAY BE
 ELIGIBLE FOR AFTER BIRTH; AND
   4.  DEVELOPING  A  SYSTEM  FOR RAPID CONSULTATION AND REFERRAL LINKAGE
 SERVICES FOR OBSTETRICIANS AND  PRIMARY  CARE  PROVIDERS  STATEWIDE  WHO
 PROVIDE CARE FOR EXPECTANT MOTHERS WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER.
   § 2577. NEWBORN  SCREENING.  THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE
 COMMISSIONER OF ADDICTION SERVICES AND SUPPORTS, SHALL DEVELOP  GUIDANCE
 FOR  HOSPITALS  AND  MIDWIFERY  BIRTH  CENTERS  ON  NEONATAL  ABSTINENCE
 SYNDROME WHICH SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, APPROPRIATE  TREAT-
 MENT  METHODS  FOR  NEONATAL ABSTINENCE SYNDROME AND INFORMATION ON HOME
 VISITING SERVICES THAT RECOVERING MOTHERS MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR,  AS  WELL
 AS  OTHER  SUBSTANCES  ABUSE  SERVICES,  SOCIAL  SUPPORTS AND BASIC NEED
 REFERRALS IN THE COMMUNITY.
   § 2578. PROVIDER EDUCATION. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL DEVELOP OR  APPROVE
 A  CONTINUING  MEDICAL  EDUCATION  COURSE FOR NEONATAL NURSES, OBSTETRI-
 CIANS, MIDWIVES, PEDIATRICIANS, AND OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS  REGARD-
 ING  TREATMENT  OF  EXPECTANT  MOTHERS  AND  NEW  MOTHERS SUFFERING FROM
 SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, AND THE TREATMENT  OF  NEWBORNS  SUFFERING  FROM
 NEONATAL  ABSTINENCE  SYNDROME,  WHICH  MAY  INCLUDE  FEDERALLY APPROVED
 BUPRENORPHINE TRAINING, IN ORDER TO  FACILITATE  COMPREHENSIVE  PRENATAL
 AND POSTPARTUM CARE TO THIS POPULATION.
   § 2579.   WORKGROUP. THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COMMIS-
 SIONER OF ADDICTIONS SERVICES AND SUPPORTS, SHALL CONVENE A WORKGROUP OF
 STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING BUT NOT  LIMITED  TO,  HOSPITALS,  LOCAL  HEALTH
 DEPARTMENTS, OBSTETRICIANS, MIDWIVES, PEDIATRICIANS, AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE
 PROVIDERS TO STUDY AND EVALUATE CURRENT BARRIERS AND CHALLENGES IN IDEN-
 TIFYING  AND  TREATING EXPECTANT MOTHERS, NEWBORNS, AND NEW PARENTS WITH
 SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER. THE WORKGROUP SHALL REPORT ON ITS  FINDINGS  AND
 RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COMMISSIONER, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY AND THE
 TEMPORARY  PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE
 OF THIS SECTION.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
 have  become a law. Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or
 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary  for  the  implementation  of
 this  act  on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
 on or before such date.