S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
5517--A
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
March 7, 2023
___________
Introduced by Sens. BROUK, CLEARE, RAMOS, SALAZAR -- read twice and
ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on
Women's Issues -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring the
advisory council on maternal mortality and morbidity to undertake a
review of the cesarean births at hospitals in the state
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 2509 of the
public health law, as amended by chapter 142 of the laws of 2019, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) There is hereby established in the department the maternal mortal-
ity review board for the purpose of reviewing maternal deaths and mater-
nal morbidity and developing and disseminating findings, recommenda-
tions, and best practices to contribute to the prevention of maternal
mortality and morbidity. The board shall assess the cause of death,
INCLUDING WHETHER THERE WAS A VAGINAL OR CESAREAN BIRTH, factors leading
to death and preventability for each maternal death reviewed and, in the
discretion of the board, cases of severe maternal morbidity, and shall
develop and disseminate strategies for reducing the risk of maternal
mortality and morbidity, including risk resulting from racial, economic,
or other disparities. The commissioner may delegate the authority to
conduct maternal mortality reviews.
§ 2. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 5 of section 2509 of the public
health law, as amended by chapter 142 of the laws of 2019, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) shall make and report findings and recommendations to the commis-
sioner, and in the case of the city board to the commissioner and the
city commissioner regarding the cause of death, factors leading to
death, and preventability of each maternal death case, INCLUDING WHETHER
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04565-02-3
S. 5517--A 2
THERE WAS A VAGINAL OR CESAREAN BIRTH, and each case of severe maternal
morbidity reviewed by the board, by reviewing relevant information for
each case in the state or the city of New York, as the case may be, and
consulting with experts as needed to evaluate the information for each
death; and shall provide such findings and recommendations, including
best practices and strategies for reducing the risk of maternal mortal-
ity and morbidity, to the advisory council; provided that material
provided to the advisory council shall not include any information that
would be confidential under this section;
§ 3. Paragraphs (b) and (d) of subdivision 8 of section 2509 of the
public health law, as amended by chapter 142 of the laws of 2019, are
amended to read as follows:
(b) The advisory council:
(i) may review the findings of the boards;
(ii) may develop recommendations on policies, best practices, and
strategies to prevent maternal mortality and morbidity;
(iii) may hold public hearings on those matters;
(iv) may make findings and issue reports, including an annual report,
on such matters; [and]
(v) may request and shall receive the assistance of the commissioner,
the city commissioner, and the boards in carrying out its functions[.];
AND
(VI) SHALL UNDERTAKE A REVIEW OF CESAREAN BIRTHS AT HOSPITALS IN THE
STATE. THE COUNCIL SHALL ISSUE A FINAL REPORT AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS
TO REDUCE THE RATE OF CESAREAN BIRTHS IN THE STATE. THE COUNCIL SHALL
CONSIDER FACTORS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO: THE PRIMARY AND REPEAT
CESAREAN BIRTH RATES AMONG HOSPITALS IN THE STATE; THE HOSPITALS IN THE
STATE THAT ALLOW OR ENCOURAGE VAGINAL BIRTHS AFTER CESAREAN BIRTHS; THE
RATE OF VAGINAL BIRTHS AFTER CESAREAN BIRTHS AMONG HOSPITALS IN THE
STATE; THE RATE OF VAGINAL BIRTHS AFTER CESAREAN BIRTHS THAT WERE
OFFERED BY HOSPITALS IN THE STATE BUT DECLINED BY THE BIRTHING PERSON;
THE RATE OF VAGINAL BIRTHS AFTER CESAREAN BIRTHS THAT WERE ATTEMPTED BUT
FAILED AMONG HOSPITALS IN THE STATE; THE TIME OF DAY UNPLANNED CESAREAN
BIRTHS OCCUR IN HOSPITALS, AND WHETHER SUCH CORRELATES WITH THE RATE OF
CESAREAN BIRTHS IN A HOSPITAL; THE NUMBER OF BIRTHING PEOPLE WHO ELECT
TO HAVE MIDWIVES ATTEND LABOR AND DELIVERY IN HOSPITALS IN THE STATE;
THE FREQUENCY OF MIDWIFERY CARE DURING LABOR IN HOSPITALS ACROSS THE
STATE AND WHAT IMPACT, IF ANY, THIS HAS ON THE RATE OF CESAREAN BIRTHS;
AND THE NUMBER OF BIRTHING PEOPLE WHO WERE INFORMED BY THEIR HEALTH CARE
PROVIDER ABOUT THE POTENTIAL RISKS, BENEFITS, AND ALTERNATIVES RELATED
TO CESAREAN BIRTHS BEFORE LABOR.
(d) The members of the council shall be comprised of multidisciplinary
experts INCLUDING TWO LICENSED MIDWIVES and lay persons knowledgeable in
the field of maternal mortality, women's health and public health and
shall include members who serve and are representative of the racial,
ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity of the women and mothers of the
state, and to the extent possible, the medically underserved areas of
the state or areas of the state with disproportionately high occurrences
of maternal mortality or morbidity.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.