S 3989: Requires hepatitis C virus testing of newborns.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3989 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 31, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- 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 requiring hepati- tis C virus testing of newborns 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 2500-n to read as follows: 3 § 2500-n. Hepatitis C Virus (HCV); testing of newborns. 1. In order to 4 improve the health outcomes of newborns, and to improve access to care 5 and treatment for newborns infected with or exposed to Hepatitis C Virus 6 (HCV) and their birth parent, the commissioner shall establish a compre- 7 hensive program for the testing of newborns for the presence of Hepati- 8 tis C Virus (HCV) and/or the presence of antibodies to such virus. 9 2. The commissioner shall promulgate regulations governing the imple- 10 mentation of the program required pursuant to subdivision one of this 11 section, including the administration of testing, counseling, tracking, 12 disclosure of test results pursuant to section twenty-seven hundred 13 eighty-two of this chapter, follow-up reviews, and educational activ- 14 ities relating to such testing. 15 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD04982-01-5