S 761: Relates to including information about Down Syndrome in the health care and wellness education and outreach program; amends the effectiveness thereof.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 761 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. ORTT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to Down syndrome diagnosis awareness The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Paragraph (h) of subdivision 1 of section 207 of the public 2 health law, as added by a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the 3 public health law relating to Down syndrome diagnosis awareness, as 4 proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 593-A and A. 4138-A, is amended 5 to read as follows: 6 (h)(i) [A] Down syndrome [awareness program shall be created to 7 provide] including up-to-date and evidence-based information about Down 8 syndrome, [in a written or alternative format to health care providers 9 who order tests for a pregnant woman or an infant to screen for Down 10 syndrome that shall include, but] not [be] limited to[,] the following: 11 (1) expected physical, developmental, educational, and psychosocial 12 outcomes; 13 (2) life expectancy; 14 (3) the clinical course description; 15 (4) expected intellectual and functional development; 16 (5) available intervention or treatment options; 17 (6) information hotlines specific to Down syndrome; 18 (7) relevant resource centers or clearinghouses; 19 (8) national and local Down syndrome organizations; and 20 (9) any other information the department deems necessary. 21 Such information shall be provided electronically through the depart- 22 ment's website. 23 (ii) The commissioner shall (1) examine and utilize existing practices 24 to ensure that the information provided under subparagraph (i) of this EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02838-01-5 
 S. 761 2 1 paragraph is culturally and linguistically appropriate for all recipi- 2 ents; and (2) meet [annually] with representatives from the Down 3 syndrome community as necessary to ensure such information is current. 4 § 2. Section 2 of a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the public 5 health law relating to Down syndrome diagnosis awareness, as proposed in 6 legislative bills numbers S. 593-A and A. 4138-A, is amended to read as 7 follows: 8 § 2. This act shall take effect [immediately] on the one hundred 9 eightieth day after it shall have become a law. 10 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that 11 section one of this act shall take effect on the same date and in the 12 same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the public health 13 law relating to Down syndrome diagnosis awareness, as proposed in legis- 14 lative bills numbers S. 593-A and A. 4138-A, takes effect.