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STATE OF NEW YORK
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7003

2011-2012 Regular Sessions

IN ASSEMBLY

April 7, 2011
___________

Introduced by M. of A. ARROYO -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BOYLAND,
  GIBSON, MILLMAN, ORTIZ, N. RIVERA, P. RIVERA -- read once and referred
  to the Committee on Health

AN ACT to establish a Minority Coordinating Council on Asthmatic Affairs

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. According to the  American
Lung  Association,  there  are over 1.6 million New Yorkers with asthma,
with over 380,000 of them being children. The annual cost of  asthma  is
estimated  to  be  nearly  18 billion dollars. Access to health care for
ethnic minorities is often hampered by socio-economic disparities, shor-
tages of primary care physicians in minority communities,  language  and
literacy barriers, and cultural beliefs about the role and usefulness of
medicines. There have emerged clear disparities in the burden and treat-
ment  of  asthma  in the communities of ethnic minorities. The burden of
asthma falls disproportionately on  the  African-American  and  Hispanic
populations,  and  especially  on  children  of these ethnic minorities.
Therefore, it is the intent of this legislature to create a coordinating
council to address these issues and to improve awareness and  management
of asthma prevention and treatment for minorities in this state.
  S  2. The commissioner of health shall establish a Minority Coordinat-
ing Council on Asthmatic Affairs. The commissioner shall appoint as many
members as he or she  determines  appropriate.  Such  members  shall  be
representative  of  those regions of the state with significant minority
populations and shall include health care professionals  with  knowledge
and  experience  in  the  prevention  and treatment of asthma and in the
areas of public health care funding. The council shall be  tasked  with:
(a)  assessing the asthma risk factors for the minority citizens of this
state, its counties and regions; (b) identifying the  existing  barriers
to  quality  asthma  treatment and care among minorities; (c) developing
action steps for addressing care issues; and (d) launching a  state-wide

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01414-01-1
A. 7003                             2

asthma  awareness  campaign  to  educate citizens about the disease, its
symptoms, and the ability to better manage asthma through prevention and
treatment. The council shall deliver an annual report addressing various
asthma program successes, new trends, data and issues surrounding minor-
ity  populations  suffering from asthma to the governor and the legisla-
ture beginning September 1, 2012, and annually thereafter.
  S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.