BILL NUMBER: S6983A
SPONSOR: BRISPORT
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring hospi-
tals and other facilities that provide perinatal care to implement an
evidence-based implicit bias program and requiring the department of
health to publish reports on maternal morbidity and pregnancy related
deaths
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 names this act "New York Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth
Act"
Section 2 amends the public health law to require clinical staff to
complete an evidence-based implicit bias training annually.
Section 3 directs the department of health to track data on severe
maternal morbidity and publish their findings once every two years.
Section 4 establishes the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Every person is entitled to dignity and respect during and after preg-
nancy and childbirth. Patients should receive the best care possible
regardless of their race, gender, age, class, sexual orientation, disa-
bility, language proficiency, nationality, immigration status, or reli-
gion. However, for women of color, particularly Black women, the mater-
nal mortality rate remains three to four times higher than the rate for
Caucasian women. New York has a responsibility to decrease the substan-
tial number of preventable pregnancy and childbirth-related deaths.
This legislation requires hospitals and other facilities that provide
perinatal care to implement evidence-based implicit bias training
programs; and mandates additional data collection and publication
regarding severe maternal morbidity, disaggregated by race and ethnici-
ty.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: S.8375
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This bill shall take effect one hundred and eighty days after enactment.

Statutes affected:
S6983: 2803-n public health law, 4141 public health law, 4141(4) public health law
S6983A: 2509 public health law