* § 29-b. Veteran maternity care. The women veterans coordinator shall
administer a veteran maternity care program. The duties and
responsibilities of the women veterans coordinator with respect to such
program shall be:

1. Serving as a liaison between the United States department of
veterans affairs (VA) including VA maternity care coordinators located
in the state, the department of health and the office of mental health
to facilitate better coordination of veteran maternity care in the state
and cooperation in addressing issues related to veteran reproductive
mental health care;

2. Providing information to maternity care providers and expectant
veterans regarding identifying and treating common mental and physical
conditions experienced by veterans that can heighten the risk of
pregnancy complications;

3. Providing guidance and referral information on maternity care and
benefits available to veterans including the VA's maternity care
coordination program at all events including but not limited to,
seminars required under subdivision six of section four of this article;

4. Developing a system for rapid consultation and referral linkage
services for obstetricians and primary care providers statewide who
provide care for expectant veterans with service-connected disabilities
that may impact a veteran's maternal health;

5. Providing guidance on the identification of signs and symptoms of
mental health conditions in expectant veterans to maternity care
providers;

6. Raising awareness among maternity care providers of the federal
Veterans Community Care Program established pursuant to 38 U.S.C § 1703
and considering ways to encourage and incentivize participation in such
program. The coordinator shall make information relevant to such
providers available on the department's website, including but not
limited to, links to the any continuing medical education material or
courses for non-department medical professionals provided on the
internet website of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs pursuant to
section 123 of the VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening
Integrated Outside Networks Act of 2018 (P.L.115-182);

7. Convening as necessary, in conjunction with the commissioners of
health and mental health, a workgroup of stakeholders, including but not
limited to, hospitals, federal, state, and local health officials,
obstetricians, midwives, pediatricians, veterans and veterans advocates
to study and evaluate:

(a) ways to improve the capacity of maternity health care providers to
deliver high-quality, timely and veteran-centered care;

(b) barriers and challenges in identifying and treating expectant
veterans with reproductive health conditions and other service-connected
disabilities that may increase the risk of pregnancy and postpartum
complications; and

(c) gaps in the services and care provided to pregnant veterans by the
federal government and the desirability, feasibility and efficacy of
support by the state for such services including but not limited to,
home deliveries, services by doulas, and deliveries by direct-entry
midwives;

8. Establishing standard protocols and training for health care
providers treating pregnant veterans and defining responsibilities for
how local suicide prevention coordinators, maternity care coordinators
and women's health clinical leaders should work together to support
pregnant veterans with elevated risk factors for suicide; and

9. Collaborating with the maternal mortality review board established
pursuant to section twenty-five hundred nine of the public health law to
identify trends in the demographics and causes of maternal mortality
among veterans. The findings of such collaboration shall be reported to
the governor and the legislature at least annually.

* NB There are 3 § 29-b'a

* NB Effective March 21, 2025