Bill Text: NY S01795 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Includes in the health care and wellness education and outreach program certain chronic illnesses which primarily affect women and for which there are no diagnostic tests or cures including, but not limited to, myalgic encphalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia; requires the establishment of an advisory council for such illnesses.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-03-04 - referred to health [S01795 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S01795-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          1795
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                    January 16, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen.  RIVERA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
        AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to including  certain
          chronic  and  often misunderstood illnesses, primarily affecting women
          for which there are no diagnostic tests or  cures  within  the  health
          care and wellness education and outreach program
          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 207 of the public  health  law  is
     2  amended by adding a new paragraph (p) to read as follows:
     3    (p)  Chronic  and often misunderstood illnesses which primarily affect
     4  women for which there are no diagnostic tests or  cures,  including  but
     5  not limited to:
     6    (1)  myalgic  encephalomyelitis/chronic  fatigue  syndrome (ME/CFS), a
     7  multi-system disease associated  with  neurological,  immunological  and
     8  energy  metabolism impairment characterized by long-standing and debili-
     9  tating fatigue with a delayed  exacerbation  of  symptoms  and  loss  of
    10  stamina following even minimal mental or physical function; symptoms may
    11  also  include  cognitive  dysfunction,  sleep  abnormalities,  autonomic
    12  manifestations and pain; and
    13    (2) fibromyalgia (FM), a complex chronic pain  disorder  characterized
    14  by  widespread  musculoskeletal  pain  accompanied by fatigue, cognitive
    15  difficulties and sleep problems; symptoms may also include tension head-
    16  aches,  temporomandibular  joint  (TMJ)   disorders,   irritable   bowel
    17  syndrome, anxiety and depression.
    18    Given  there  are  no  diagnostic tests or biomarkers, and no approved
    19  treatments for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic  fatigue  syndrome  and
    20  few  for fibromyalgia, diagnosis and management of these diseases can be
    21  more difficult and, as a result, education and awareness of health  care
    22  providers  and  the public is imperative.  Provided that the program for
    23  such illnesses shall include an advisory council under this section that
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07754-01-9
        S. 1795                             2
     1  shall include representatives of people  with  encephalomyelitis/chronic
     2  fatigue  syndrome  and  fibromyalgia, and their families and health care
     3  providers who specialize in treating such illnesses  and  other  chronic
     4  and often misunderstood illnesses which primarily affect women for which
     5  there are no diagnostic tests or cures, among others.
     6    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.