Bill Text: NY A08957 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Creates a newborn health and safe sleep study to be conducted before the implementation of a pilot program for the same.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-02-05 - substituted by s7408 [A08957 Detail]
Download: New_York-2017-A08957-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8957 IN ASSEMBLY January 9, 2018 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. SIMOTAS -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Health AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to the newborn health and safe sleep study The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 2508 of the public health law, as added by chapter 2 401 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows: 3 § 2508. Newborn health and safe sleep [pilot program] study. There 4 shall be established in the department, by the commissioner, a newborn 5 health and safe sleep [pilot program] study designed to reduce infant 6 mortality rates across the state and enhance existing strategies to 7 improve safe sleep practices. The department, in consultation with 8 health care providers, hospitals, safe sleep product manufacturers, 9 provider groups, the New York state office of children and family 10 services, and any other person or entity the commissioner deems neces- 11 sary, shall conduct a study on the effectiveness of existing safe sleep 12 practices and identify additional safe sleep practices that reduce 13 infant mortality rates. The study shall include a review of baby boxes 14 and other products aimed at encouraging safe and healthy sleep prac- 15 tices. The department shall report to the legislature within twelve 16 months of the effective date of this section on the results of this 17 study. [Through the pilot program, the commissioner shall provide baby18boxes or other products aimed at encouraging safe sleep practices and19other sudden infant death syndrome prevention measures in areas of20greatest need, such as counties or areas with high infant mortality21rates, or counties or areas with poor birth outcomes. For purposes of22this section, "baby boxes" shall mean boxes lined with a firm mattress23and a fitted sheet such that it can serve as a safe sleep place for a24newborn, and shall contain newborn infant care essentials aimed at25promoting safe sleeping practices and reducing sudden infant death26syndrome, as well as items to encourage safe and healthy habits for27families transitioning to parenting. Such boxes or other products may28vary by region, in the discretion of the commissioner, to meet the needsEXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD09076-09-8A. 8957 2 1of the relevant community. The department] Within twelve months after 2 the completion of the study, the department shall conduct a pilot 3 program aimed at improving caregiver education and continued safe sleep 4 practices in counties or areas with high infant mortality rates, and 5 also shall pursue available funding options and make efforts to estab- 6 lish a public-private partnership with organizations that promote such 7 causes or manufacture such products in order to seek to obtain donations 8 for these purposes. 9 [The department shall be responsible for monitoring the quality,10appropriateness and effectiveness of the program and shall report to the11legislature within one year of the effective date of this section on the12program's effectiveness.] 13 § 2. This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same 14 manner as section 1 of chapter 401 of the laws of 2017 took effect; 15 provided, however, that the department of health shall commence the 16 study authorized by section 2508 of the public health law as amended by 17 section one of this act on the same date that this act shall have become 18 a law; and provided further that the pilot program authorized under 19 section 2508 of the public health law as amended by section one of this 20 act shall expire 24 months after it has been established.