S3211-2013 - NY Senate Open Legislation - Establishes the interagency task force on health literacy

Establishes the interagency task force on health literacy, to study health literacy and developing recommendations for improving health literacy in this state.

Sponsor: PARKER Committee: HIGHER EDUCATION
Law Section: Education Law
Law: Add S238-b, Ed L

S3211-2013 Actions

Jan 31, 2013: REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION

S3211-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S3211

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the education law, in relation to the
establishment of the interagency task force on health literacy

PURPOSE:  To increase the knowledge of health literacy in the State of
New York so that its' citizens can make more informed health
decisions.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 238 of the education law is amended By adding a new section
(238-b) Interagency task force on health literacy. This subsection
establishes within the State University of New York, an interagency
task force on health literacy to be administered according to the
provisions of this section. The task force shall assist the health and
human service agencies of this state in studying health literacy and
developing recommendations for improving health literacy in this
state. The SUNY Chancellor shall appoint a member of the SUNY school
of public health faculty to chair the task force.

Subsection (3) of this bill stipulates who shall be invited to serve
on the task force. Three representatives from state hospitals selected
by the temporary president of the Senate and Speaker of The Assembly.
The commissioners of the New York State Department of Health and of
Children and Family Services. Representatives from the Medical Society
of the State of New York, the New York Chapter of American Academy of
Pediatrics, the New York Cooperative Extension, The Albany College of
Pharmacy, the Long Island University A.M, Schwartz College of Pharmacy
and Allied Health Professions, the State University of New York at
Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, the New York
State office of Minority Health, the New York State Developmental
Disabilities Planning Council, the Health Insurance Industry, the
Empire State Medical Association, the Commissioner of the New York
City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the New York City
Department for the Aging, the Health Literacy Project Partnership of
the New York City Mayor's office and United Way of New York City and
the New York State Health Foundation.

Subsection (4) details what the task force shall do once it has
identified groups at risk for low health literacy; examine whether
providing appropriate health information to and increase the health
literacy of the beneficiaries of public health services would increase
the efficiency of health care providers and decrease expenditures.
Examine the impact on health literacy of; rising costs, increasingly
complex health treatments, an individual's age, and cultural and
linguistic diversity.

JUSTIFICATION:  Although New York has some existing health literacy
initiatives, the legislature finds that a comprehensive statewide
health literacy task force is a necessary and valuable step toward
eliminating as much as practicable the negative outcomes that health
literacy challenges create in the state. Health literacy shall mean an
individual's ability to read, understand, and act appropriately on
health care information.


Task force shall mean the interagency task force on health literacy.
The task force's, responsibilities shall include but not limited to
studying and evaluating the health literacy of the residents of this
state; In doing so the task farce will determine whether providing
appropriate health information to and increasing the health literacy
of the beneficiaries of public health services would increase the
efficiency of health care providers and decrease expenditures.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:  2011-12: S.1142 - Referred to Higher Education
2009-10: S.5626 - Referred to Higher Education

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE:  This act shall take effect December 1, 2013.

S3211-2013 Text


                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                    3211

                         2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                              January 31, 2013
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
    printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education

  AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the  establishment  of
    the interagency task force on health literacy

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


    Section 1. Legislative intent. 1. It is the intent of the  legislature
  to  improve  health  care  access  and  outcomes, and reduce unnecessary
  health care spending by addressing the issue of health literacy.  Health
  literacy  is the degree to which an individual, or individuals, have the
  capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health care information
  and services necessary for them to make appropriate health decisions.
    2. A patient's health literacy may be affected if they have low educa-
  tion skills, cultural  barriers  to  seeking  health  care,  or  limited
  English  proficiency  (LEP).    Demographically, individuals with health
  literacy challenges often  are  represented  disproportionately  in  the
  following  groups:  older adults, minority and/or immigrant populations,
  lower-income populations, and medically underserved populations.
    3. Although New York has some existing  health  literacy  initiatives,
  the  legislature  finds  that  a comprehensive statewide health literacy
  task force is a necessary and valuable step toward eliminating  as  much
  as  practicable  the  negative  outcomes that health literacy challenges
  create in the state.
    S 2. The education law is amended by adding a  new  section  238-b  to
  read as follows:

    S 238-B. INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON HEALTH LITERACY. 1. THERE IS HEREBY
  ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, AN INTERAGENCY TASK
  FORCE  ON HEALTH LITERACY TO BE ADMINISTERED ACCORDING TO THE PROVISIONS
  OF THIS SECTION. SUCH TASK FORCE  SHALL  ASSIST  THE  HEALTH  AND  HUMAN
  SERVICE  AGENCIES OF THIS STATE IN STUDYING HEALTH LITERACY AND DEVELOP-
  ING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING HEALTH LITERACY IN THIS STATE.

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD06796-01-3

 S. 3211                             2

    2. THE SUNY CHANCELLOR SHALL APPOINT A MEMBER OF THE  SUNY  SCHOOL  OF
  PUBLIC HEALTH FACULTY TO CHAIR THE TASK FORCE.
    3. THE FOLLOWING REPRESENTATIVES SHALL BE INVITED TO SERVE ON THE TASK
  FORCE:

    (A)  THREE  REPRESENTATIVES FROM STATE HOSPITALS TO BE SELECTED BY THE
  TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY;
    (B) THE COMMISSIONER OF THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH;
    (C) THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES;
    (D) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE MEDICAL SOCIETY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEW
  YORK;
    (E)  A  REPRESENTATIVE  FROM THE NEW YORK CHAPTER, AMERICAN ACADEMY OF
  PEDIATRICS;
    (F) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE NEW YORK COOPERATIVE EXTENSION;
    (G) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE ALBANY COLLEGE OF PHARMACY;
    (H) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE LONG  ISLAND  UNIVERSITY  A.M.  SCHWARTZ
  COLLEGE OF PHARMACY AND ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONS;
    (I)  A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO
  SCHOOL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES;
    (J) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE NEW YORK STATE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH CLIN-
  IC NETWORK;
    (K) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM  THE  NEW  YORK  STATE  OFFICE  OF  MINORITY
  HEALTH;
    (L)  A  REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE NEW YORK STATE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILI-
  TIES PLANNING COUNCIL;
    (M) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE HEALTH INSURANCE INDUSTRY;
    (N) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE EMPIRE STATE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION;
    (O) THE COMMISSIONER OF THE NEW YORK CITY  DEPARTMENT  OF  HEALTH  AND
  MENTAL HYGIENE;
    (P) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT FOR THE AGING;
    (Q)  A  REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE HEALTH LITERACY PROJECT PARTNERSHIP OF
  THE NEW YORK CITY MAYOR'S OFFICE AND UNITED WAY OF NEW YORK CITY; AND
    (R) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE NEW YORK STATE HEALTH FOUNDATION.
    4. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE
  FOLLOWING MEANINGS:

    (A) "CHANCELLOR" SHALL MEAN THE CHANCELLOR  OF  THE  SUNY  SCHOOLS  OF
  PUBLIC HEALTH IN ALBANY.
    (B)  "HEALTH  LITERACY"  SHALL  MEAN  AN INDIVIDUAL'S ABILITY TO READ,
  UNDERSTAND, AND ACT APPROPRIATELY ON HEALTH CARE INFORMATION.
    (C) "TASK FORCE" MEANS THE INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON HEALTH LITERACY.
    5. THE TASK FORCE SHALL BE CHARGED WITH STUDYING  AND  EVALUATING  THE
  HEALTH LITERACY OF THE RESIDENTS OF THIS STATE. THE TASK FORCE SHALL:

    (A)  EXAMINE  THE  ABILITY  OF  RESIDENTS  TO  ACCESS AVAILABLE HEALTH
  SERVICES AND COMMUNICATE WITH HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS;
    (B) IDENTIFY BARRIERS THAT PREVENT RESIDENTS WITH LOW HEALTH  LITERACY
  FROM RECEIVING HEALTH CARE;
    (C) IDENTIFY GROUPS AT RISK FOR LOW HEALTH LITERACY;
    (D)  EXAMINE  WHETHER  PROVIDING APPROPRIATE HEALTH INFORMATION TO AND
  INCREASING THE HEALTH  LITERACY OF THE BENEFICIARIES  OF  PUBLIC  HEALTH
  SERVICES  WOULD  INCREASE  THE  EFFICIENCY  OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND
  DECREASE EXPENDITURES;
    (E) EXAMINE THE IMPACT ON HEALTH LITERACY OF:

    (I) RISING HEALTH CARE COSTS;
    (II) INCREASINGLY COMPLEX HEALTH TREATMENTS;
    (III) AN INDIVIDUAL'S AGE; AND
    (IV) CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY.

 S. 3211                             3

    6. THE SUNY SCHOOLS OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN ALBANY SHALL PROVIDE THE STAFF
  NECESSARY TO ASSIST THE TASK FORCE IN PERFORMING ITS DUTIES.
    7.  NO  LATER THAN DECEMBER FIFTEENTH, TWO THOUSAND FOURTEEN, THE TASK
  FORCE SHALL REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE ON ITS FINDINGS UNDER  SUBDIVISION
  FIVE  OF  THIS  SECTION. IN ADDITION, THE REPORT SHALL INCLUDE A LIST OF
  PROPOSED RULES AND REGULATIONS AND ANY NECESSARY LEGISLATION.  THE  TASK
  FORCE  SHALL  ALSO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE LEGISLATURE ON STRATEGIES
  FOR:

    (A) IMPROVING THE HEALTH LITERACY OF THE RESIDENTS OF THIS STATE.
    (B) PROMOTING THE USE OF PLAIN LANGUAGE BY HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.
    (C) SIMPLIFYING THE ENROLLMENT  FORMS  AND  PROCEDURES  FOR  ACCESSING
  HEALTH  INSURANCE  PLANS  SERVING INDIVIDUALS IN GROUPS IDENTIFIED AS AT
  RISK FOR LOW HEALTH LITERACY.
    (D) DEVELOPING RESOURCES FOR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS  AND  RESIDENTS  OF
  THIS STATE TO INCREASE HEALTH LITERACY.
    (E)  DEVELOPING  PROGRAMS TO AID THE RESIDENTS OF THIS STATE IN UNDER-
  STANDING HEALTH CARE INFORMATION.
    (F) DEVELOPING EDUCATIONAL CURRICULA TO INCREASE HEALTH LITERACY.
    (G) DEVELOPING EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND PRINT AND ELECTRONIC INFORMATION  ON
  HEALTH ISSUES.
    (H) FUNDING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TASK FORCE.
    S 3. This act shall take effect December 1, 2013.

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S3211-2013: Establishes the interagency task force on health literacy

S3211-2013 Actions

S3211-2013 Memo

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