Bill Text: NY A08080 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes a program in which a baby box is provided by the commissioner to all infants born in the state of New York.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-03 - referred to health [A08080 Detail]
Download: New_York-2017-A08080-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8080 2017-2018 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY May 25, 2017 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. DE LA ROSA -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing a statewide newborn health and safety program The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 2 2508 to read as follows: 3 § 2508. New born health and safety program. 1. For the purposes of 4 this section, the term "baby box" shall mean a cardboard box lined with 5 a firm mattress, such that it can double as a bassinet. 6 2. a. There shall be established in the department, by the commission- 7 er, a baby box program designed to reduce infant mortality rates across 8 the state. Through the baby box program, the commissioner shall provide 9 baby boxes, for each infant born in the state of New York, regardless of 10 family income. The baby boxes shall be designed to be a safe sleep place 11 for newborn infants. Each mattress shall be covered with a fitted sheet 12 and all baby boxes shall contain newborn infant care essentials aimed at 13 promoting safe sleeping practices and other methods of reducing sudden 14 infant death syndrome, as well as items to encourage safe and healthy 15 habits for families transitioning to parenting. All such infant care 16 essentials shall be chosen at the discretion of the commissioner and 17 shall include, but not be limited to clothing, hats, socks, thermometers 18 and bath towels. 19 b. The department shall pursue available funding options and make 20 efforts to establish a public-private partnership with organizations 21 that promote such causes or manufacture such products in order to seek 22 to obtain donations for these purposes. The department shall be respon- 23 sible for monitoring the quality, appropriateness and effectiveness of 24 the program and shall report to the legislature within two years of the 25 effective date of this section on the program's effectiveness, and then 26 provide periodic updates every year thereafter. 27 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD11391-01-7