BILL NUMBER: S517
SPONSOR: PERSAUD
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to creating an educa-
tional pamphlet regarding the importance of prostate-specific antigen
testing
 
PURPOSE:
Creates an educational program regarding the importance of prostate-spe-
cific antigen testing.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of the bill relates to Section 2404-a of the public health
law, as amended by, chapter 335 of the laws of 2018, is amended by
establishing the development of educational pamphlets relating to
prostate cancer and screening.
Section 2 establishes the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer in men, according
to the American Cancer Society, with an estimated 288,300 new cases in
2023. A person with a prostate is at risk of developing prostate cancer
but has a higher risk of developing prostate cancer when such person has
a family history. Lack of awareness and stigma contribute to patients'
reduced participation in screening for prostate cancer. Furthermore,
recent research by Leszczynski et. al. (2022) suggests that COVID-19
has negatively impacted the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer,
contributing to a rise in new cases since the pandemic started. This
will be particularly impactful in communities of African descent (where
black men are 70 more likely to develop prostate cancer and more than
twice as likely to die from it), communities of Indigenous and Hispanic
descent (where American Indian, Alaska Native and Hispanic men are twice
as likely to develop prostate cancer), and communities of Asian descent
(where Asian American and Pacific Islanders are three times as likely to
develop prostate cancer), as reported by CA A Journal for .Clinicians
and the National institute for Cancer. The creation and distribution of
educational materials related to prost ate-specific antigen screening
can combat these factors by allowing patients to make informed decisions
regarding their health, which can also save them money over the long
term.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023/2024: S5135-A Referred to Health
 
FISCAL IMPACT ON THE STATE:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become law .

Statutes affected:
S517: 2404-a public health law