Assembly Health Committee Passes 11 Bills - March 6, 2007

The Assembly Committee on Health, chaired by Assembly Member Richard N. Gottfried, passed the following bills today. Please contact the bill's sponsor, listed after the bills description, for more information.

• Hospital Outsourcing - Requires hospitals to disclose any hospital service or health related service provided by the hospital that is performed outside of the United States. (A.4946, Eddington)

• Food allergies - Requires the Department of Health to establish educational materials and programs about food allergens for public eating establishments, with authority for regulations on disclosure and posting. (A.5086, Ortiz)

• Hospital staff and quality disclosure - Requires hospitals to disclose to the public data on staffing, adverse outcomes, and complaints. (A.5196, Gottfried)

• School-based health - Makes permanent the school-based health centers program. (A.5197, Espaillat)

• Uterine fibroids - Authorizes the Department of Health to develop an education and outreach program on uterine fibroids. (A.5278, Wright)

• People with Disabilities, medical access - Requires HMOs to have network providers that accommodate people with disabilities. (A.5291, Perry)

• Psychoactive drugs for children - Authorizes the Dept. of Health to study the effects of psychoactive drugs on school age children. (A.5388, Boyland)

• After-effects of polio - Authorizes the Department of Health to develop an education and outreach program on the after-effects of polio. (A.5395, Latimer)

• Midwife hospital admitting privileges - Includes licensed midwives among the list of health care professionals for whom hospitals must give a legitimate reason in writing in declining admitting privileges. (A.5505, Gottfried)

• Physician assistants, death certificate - Physician assistants would be authorized to sign death certificates. (A.5506, Gottfried)

• College of Optometry Clinic - To allow patients in Medicaid Managed Care to obtain optometric services at the clinics of the College of Optometry of the State University. (A.5595, Gottfried)

The Committee on Health is scheduled to meet again at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 6, 2007 in Room 823 of the Legislative Office Building. Please note that all committee meetings are subject to change. Please check time and location before the meeting.