STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5529 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY February 14, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. JACKSON, SIMON, ZINERMAN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to the pregnant and birthing persons health crisis and establishing two centers of preg- nant and birthing persons and childcare services; and to repeal title 3 of article 25 of such law relating to the control of midwifery The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Chisholm 2 Chance Act". 3 § 2. Title 3 of article 25 of the public health law is REPEALED and a 4 new title 3 is added to read as follows: 5 TITLE III 6 CHISHOLM CHANCE ACT 7 Section 2560. Legislative findings. 8 2561. State university of New York center of pregnant and birth- 9 ing persons and childcare services. 10 2562. Montefiore medical center of pregnant and birthing persons 11 and childcare services. 12 2563. Appropriations. 13 § 2560. Legislative findings. 1. The legislature hereby finds and 14 declares that severe pregnant and birthing person morbidity constitutes 15 a public health crisis that poses a serious threat to the health and 16 quality of life of many pregnant and birthing persons and children. New 17 York is among the bottom third of states for the number of pregnant and 18 birthing persons dying, with pregnant and birthing persons of color 19 dying at a rate three and one-half times more than other non-pregnant or 20 birthing persons who could bear children. The highest rates of severe 21 pregnant and birthing persons morbidity occur in two counties, Kings and 22 Bronx county, with the highest rate occurring in north and central 23 Brooklyn. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01574-01-5
A. 5529 2 1 2. The legislature further finds and declares that centers of pregnant 2 and birthing persons and childcare services should be established at the 3 state university of New York downstate medical center in Kings county 4 and at Montefiore medical center in Bronx county to address the severe 5 pregnant and birthing persons morbidity crisis. 6 § 2561. State university of New York center of pregnant and birthing 7 persons and childcare services. 1. There is hereby established within 8 the state university of New York downstate medical center a center of 9 pregnant and birthing persons and childcare services, hereinafter 10 referred to in this section as "the center". The center shall be dedi- 11 cated to the care of pregnant and birthing persons and children and 12 shall offer services, including but not limited to: (a) prenatal care; 13 (b) prenatal and childbirth classes; (c) labor and delivery care; (d) 14 high risk pregnancy care; (e) inpatient and outpatient lactation consul- 15 tation and support; (f) heart health and heart disease prevention; (g) 16 breast health and mammography; (h) gynecologic surgery; (i) imaging; (j) 17 lab services; and (k) postpartum care. 18 2. The center shall provide clinical experiences for students enrolled 19 in the state university of New York downstate health sciences center's 20 school of health professions midwifery program. 21 3. The center shall also collaborate with the state university of New 22 York downstate health sciences center for the conduction of research to 23 inform and support health care professionals providing pregnant and 24 birthing persons and childcare services at the center. Such research 25 shall prioritize pregnant and birthing persons and children of color and 26 shall include, but not be limited to: (a) research to better understand 27 and address the increasing rates of life-threatening complications 28 around pregnancy; (b) identifying biomarkers for risk of morbidity and 29 mortality during and after pregnancy; (c) racial and ethnic disparities 30 in rates of pregnancy-related death; and (d) treatments that will reduce 31 the rates of life-threatening complications during pregnancy, labor and 32 delivery, and the postpartum period. 33 4. The center shall coordinate with local social services agencies and 34 specially trained community-based organizations to identify and address 35 gaps in systems of care and coordinate outreach efforts to find and 36 engage high-need pregnant and birthing persons and children in Kings 37 county. 38 § 2562. Montefiore medical center of pregnant and birthing persons and 39 childcare services. 1. There is hereby established within the Montef- 40 iore medical center a center of pregnant and birthing persons and child- 41 care services, hereinafter referred to in this section as "the center". 42 The center shall be dedicated to the care of pregnant and birthing 43 persons and children and shall offer services, including but not limited 44 to: (a) prenatal care; (b) prenatal and childbirth classes; (c) labor 45 and delivery care; (d) high risk pregnancy care; (e) inpatient and 46 outpatient lactation consultation and support; (f) heart health and 47 heart disease prevention; (g) breast health and mammography; (h) gyneco- 48 logic surgery; (i) imaging; (j) lab services; and (k) postpartum care. 49 2. The center shall provide clinical experiences for students enrolled 50 in Hostos community college. 51 3. The center shall also collaborate with Hostos community college for 52 the conduction of research to inform and support health care profes- 53 sionals providing pregnant and birthing persons and childcare services 54 at the center. Such research shall prioritize pregnant and birthing 55 persons and children of color and shall include, but not be limited to: 56 (a) research to better understand and address the increasing rates of
A. 5529 3 1 life-threatening complications around pregnancy; (b) identifying 2 biomarkers for risk of morbidity and mortality during and after pregnan- 3 cy; (c) racial and ethnic disparities in rates of pregnancy-related 4 death; and (d) treatments that will reduce the rates of life-threatening 5 complications during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and the postpartum 6 period. 7 4. The center shall coordinate with local social services agencies and 8 specially trained community-based organizations to identify and address 9 gaps in systems of care and coordinate outreach efforts to find and 10 engage high-need pregnant and birthing persons and children in Bronx 11 county. 12 § 2563. Appropriations. The provisions of this title shall be subject 13 to available state appropriations. 14 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.