Bill Text: NY A03016 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Relates to maternal depression screenings; requires maternal health care providers providing pre- and postnatal care or pediatric care to the mother's infant to invite the mother to fill out a questionnaire to detect maternal depression.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - referred to health [A03016 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A03016-Introduced.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          3016
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    January 28, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M.  of A. SOLAGES, BICHOTTE -- read once and referred to
          the Committee on Health
        AN ACT  to  amend  the  public  health  law,  in  relation  to  maternal
          depression screenings
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 2500-k of the public health law is
     2  amended by adding a new paragraph (c) to read as follows:
     3    (c)  "Questionnaire"  means  an  assessment  tool  administered  by  a
     4  licensed health care professional, to detect maternal depression such as
     5  the  Edinburgh  Postnatal  Depression  Scale,  the Postpartum Depression
     6  Screening Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Patient Health Ques-
     7  tionnaire, or other validated assessment  methods  as  approved  by  the
     8  commissioner.
     9    §  2. Subdivisions 3 and 4 of section 2500-k of the public health law,
    10  subdivision 4 as renumbered by chapter 463 of  the  laws  of  2017,  are
    11  renumbered subdivisions 4 and 5 and a new subdivision 3 is added to read
    12  as follows:
    13    3.  Maternal depression screenings. (a) Maternal health care providers
    14  providing prenatal care at a prenatal visit shall invite  each  pregnant
    15  patient to complete a questionnaire and shall review the completed ques-
    16  tionnaire  in accordance with the formal opinions and recommendations of
    17  the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Assessment  for
    18  maternal  depression must be repeated when, in the professional judgment
    19  of the maternal health care provider, a  reasonable  possibility  exists
    20  that the pregnant patient suffers from maternal depression.
    21    (b)  Maternal  health care providers providing postnatal care to women
    22  shall invite each patient to complete a questionnaire and  shall  review
    23  the  completed  questionnaire  in accordance with the formal opinions of
    24  the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.  Assessment for
    25  maternal depression must be repeated when, in the professional  judgment
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD05055-01-9
        A. 3016                             2
     1  of  the  maternal  health care provider, a reasonable possibility exists
     2  that the pregnant patient suffers from maternal depression.
     3    (c)  Maternal  health  care  providers  providing pediatric care to an
     4  infant shall invite the infant's mother to complete a  questionnaire  at
     5  any  well-child  check-up  at  which  the mother is present prior to the
     6  infant's first birthday, and shall review the completed questionnaire in
     7  accordance with the formal opinions and recommendations of the  American
     8  College  of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, in order to ensure that the
     9  health and well-being of the infant is not compromised by an undiagnosed
    10  condition of maternal depression in the mother.  Assessment for maternal
    11  depression must be repeated when, in the professional  judgment  of  the
    12  maternal  health care provider, a reasonable possibility exists that the
    13  pregnant patient suffers from maternal depression.
    14    (d) Consent from the mother must be obtained before a maternal  health
    15  care  provider  may  share  results from an assessment with the mother's
    16  primary licensed health care professional, unless the mother  is  deter-
    17  mined to present a danger to herself or others.
    18    § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    19  it  shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
    20  ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
    21  tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be  made  and
    22  completed  by  the  commissioner  of  health on or before such effective
    23  date.