BILL NUMBER: S497
SPONSOR: FERNANDEZ
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to death certificates
for persons whose death is caused by any act or event in which alcohol
is a factor
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to require that when a cause of death is
related to alcohol, the death certificate must indicate such informa-
tion.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 mandates that death certificates must include indication when
a death is caused by any act or event in which alcohol is a factor,
including any related information as the commissioner may require.
Section 2 sets the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Under current law, death certificates are not specifically mandated to
address alcohol as a factor in a cause of death. As a result, deaths in
which alcohol had a part in are misrepresented statistically. In light
of this, mandated documentation of the role alcohol may have played in
the deaths of individuals can provide further insight into the issue of
alcoholism in New York and help further progress in preventing alcohol
related deaths in the state.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-2024: S03522 / A04317
2021-2022: S3001 / A7374 2020: S7921
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the State
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have
become a law.

Statutes affected:
S497: 4141 public health law, 4141(4) public health law