S 6496: Requires any hospital that provides birthing services to provide written, educational material containing information about premature newborn infants.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6496 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE March 14, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. CLEARE -- 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 patient discharge information concerning certain premature newborn infants 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 2803-bb to read as follows: 3 § 2803-bb. Patient discharge information. 1. Any hospital that 4 provides birthing services shall provide written, educational material 5 containing information about the possible complications, proper care and 6 support associated with newborn infants who are born premature at less 7 than thirty-seven weeks gestational age. The written information shall 8 include but not be limited to, the following: 9 (a) The unique health issues affecting infants born premature, such 10 as: increased risk of developmental problems; nutritional challenges; 11 infection; chronic lung disease (bronchopulmonary dysplasia); vision and 12 hearing impairment; breathing problems; feeding; maintaining body 13 temperature; jaundice; hyperactivity; infant mortality and long-term 14 complications associated with fine motor skills, reading, writing, math- 15 ematics and speaking; 16 (b) The proper care needs of premature infants, developmental screen- 17 ings and monitoring and healthcare services available to premature 18 infants; 19 (c) infectious disease awareness and methods to prevent or minimize 20 infections common to premature infants; and 21 (d) Community resources to assist parents and family members with the 22 care and support of premature infants. 23 2. Such materials shall be written in clear language to educate 24 parents of premature infants across a variety of socioeconomic statuses 25 and shall be updated at least every two years. 26 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after 27 it shall have become a law. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD09297-01-5