A 1025: Requires the commissioner of health to consult with the office of addiction services and supports and relevant stakeholders as determined by such commissioner in addition to the office of mental health to publish guidance for incorporating maternal depression screenings into routine prenatal care; changes the effective date to eighteen months.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1025 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Health AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring the commissioner of health to consult with the office of addiction services and supports to publish certain guidance on maternal depression screenings, and to amend a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the public health law relating to maternal depression screen- ings, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 2039-B and A. 2870-B, in relation to the effectiveness thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 2500-k of the public health law, 2 as added by a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the public health law 3 relating to maternal depression screenings, as proposed in legislative 4 bills numbers S. 2039-B and A. 2870-B, is amended to read as follows: 5 3. Maternal depression screenings. (a) The commissioner, in consulta- 6 tion with the office of mental health, the office of addiction services 7 and supports, and other relevant stakeholders as determined by the 8 commissioner, shall [develop and] publish guidance [and standards] for 9 incorporating maternal depression screenings into routine perinatal 10 care. This guidance shall include, but not be limited to, recommenda- 11 tions and best practices related to: 12 (i) when maternal health care providers should initiate maternal 13 depression screenings and how often such screenings should be repeated 14 throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period; 15 (ii) screening for social needs that may contribute to maternal 16 depression such as social support, intimate partner violence, food and 17 housing insecurity, diaper insecurity, and barriers to appropriate 18 healthcare; 19 (iii) screening for substance use disorders; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02804-01-5 
 A. 1025 2 1 (iv) referrals for appropriate follow-up evaluation, diagnosis, and 2 treatment; and 3 (v) reimbursement methodologies to incentivize provider participation. 4 (b) The commissioner, in consultation with the office of mental 5 health, the office of addiction services and supports, and other rele- 6 vant stakeholders as determined by the commissioner, shall identify 7 existing information and training programs designed to [support] inform 8 providers in an effort to promote maternal depression screening and 9 treatment, and publish the links to such information and training 10 programs on the department's website. The identified information and 11 training programs shall include the following topics: 12 (i) health equity; 13 (ii) implicit bias and cultural competency; 14 (iii) screening, referral and treatment options; 15 (iv) patient resources and available services; 16 (v) patients' rights; 17 (vi) pharmacotherapy; 18 (vii) trauma-informed, patient-centered care; and 19 (viii) other topics as identified by the commissioner. 20 § 2. Section 3 of a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the public 21 health law relating to maternal depression screenings, as proposed in 22 legislative bills numbers S. 2039-B and A. 2870-B, is amended to read as 23 follows: 24 § 3. This act shall take effect [on the one hundred eightieth day] 25 eighteen months after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, 26 the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces- 27 sary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are 28 authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date. 29 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that 30 section one of this act shall take effect on the same date and in the 31 same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the public health 32 law relating to maternal depression screenings, as proposed in legisla- 33 tive bills numbers S. 2039-B and A. 2870-B, takes effect.