A 6368: Enacts the "children and recovering mothers (CHARM) act" to provide guidance, education and assistance to healthcare providers caring for expectant mothers with substance use disorder; provides for the screening of newborns for substance abuse exposure.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6368 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY March 4, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. WALKER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to children and recovering mothers The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as 2 the "children and recovering mothers (CHARM) act". 3 § 2. Article 25 of the public health law is amended by adding a new 4 title 4-A to read as follows: 5 TITLE 4-A 6 CHILDREN AND RECOVERING MOTHERS 7 Section 2576. Recovering expectant mother program. 8 2577. Newborn screening. 9 2578. Provider education. 10 2579. Workgroup. 11 § 2576. Recovering expectant mother program. There shall be estab- 12 lished a recovering expectant mothers program within the department 13 whereby the commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner of 14 addiction services and supports, shall provide guidance, education and 15 assistance to providers caring for recovering expectant mothers, which 16 shall include, but not be limited to: 17 1. establishing, in consultation with relevant health care providers, 18 guidance on universal screening techniques for substance use disorder at 19 prenatal visits. Such guidance shall rely on validated screening tools 20 and questionnaires and utilize language to help reduce stigma; 21 2. providing information regarding use of medication assisted treat- 22 ment for pregnant women, which shall include information regarding 23 buprenorphine training, tools for providers on effective management of 24 women with opioid use disorder in pregnancy, and a referral list of 25 certified providers; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD06002-01-5 
 A. 6368 2 1 3. providing referral information for substance abuse counseling, 2 social support and basic needs referrals, which shall also include guid- 3 ance on referring women to home visiting services that they may be 4 eligible for after birth; and 5 4. developing a system for rapid consultation and referral linkage 6 services for obstetricians and primary care providers statewide who 7 provide care for expectant mothers with substance use disorder. 8 § 2577. Newborn screening. The commissioner, in conjunction with the 9 commissioner of addiction services and supports, shall develop guidance 10 for hospitals and midwifery birth centers on neonatal abstinence 11 syndrome which shall include, but not be limited to, appropriate treat- 12 ment methods for neonatal abstinence syndrome and information on home 13 visiting services that recovering mothers may be eligible for, as well 14 as other substances abuse services, social supports and basic need 15 referrals in the community. 16 § 2578. Provider education. The commissioner shall develop or approve 17 a continuing medical education course for neonatal nurses, obstetri- 18 cians, midwives, pediatricians, and other health care providers regard- 19 ing treatment of expectant mothers and new mothers suffering from 20 substance use disorder, and the treatment of newborns suffering from 21 neonatal abstinence syndrome, which may include federally approved 22 buprenorphine training, in order to facilitate comprehensive prenatal 23 and postpartum care to this population. 24 § 2579. Workgroup. The commissioner, in conjunction with the commis- 25 sioner of addictions services and supports, shall convene a workgroup of 26 stakeholders, including but not limited to, hospitals, local health 27 departments, obstetricians, midwives, pediatricians, and substance abuse 28 providers to study and evaluate current barriers and challenges in iden- 29 tifying and treating expectant mothers, newborns, and new parents with 30 substance use disorder. The workgroup shall report on its findings and 31 recommendations to the commissioner, the speaker of the assembly and the 32 temporary president of the senate within one year of the effective date 33 of this section. 34 § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 35 have become a law. Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or 36 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of 37 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed 38 on or before such date.