BILL NUMBER: S9063
SPONSOR: ADDABBO
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the mental hygiene law and the public health law, in
relation to including avoidant/restrictive food intake disorders as
eating disorders for the purposes of mental health
 
PURPOSE:
To codify avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder in the statutory
definition of eating disorders.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Subdivision (a) of section 30.02 of the mental hygiene law,
as added by section 9 of part AA of chapter 56 of the laws of 2020 to
add avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, and remove reference to a
specific edition of the International Classification of Disease.
Section 2: Paragraph (j) of subdivision 1 of section 207 of the public
health law, as added by chapter 360 of the laws of 2014, is amended to
specify the aforementioned statutory definition.
Section 3: Provides the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder
characterized by an aversion to eating that, unlike anorexia nervosa or
bulimia, is not related to body dysmorphia. ARFID is strongly associated
with other conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, general anxiety
disorder, or obsessive compulsive disorder, among others. Only recently
gaining a medical classification, ARFID is a little-known and poorly-un-
derstood condition often dismissed as "picky eating." Healthcare profes-
sionals have turned to ineffective force feeding over evidence-based
treatment.
This bill will educate the public on ARFID and direct proper resources
and treatment to support and uplift people with ARFID and their fami-
lies. The bill also removes statutory reference to the International
Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, which
does not define ARFID.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

Statutes affected:
S9063: 30.02 mental hygiene law, 207 public health law, 207(1) public health law