Bill > A3804

Introduced Session

This bill establishes an Interagency Council on Menopause in the Department of Health (DOH) to promote and support access to best practice health care for a person through their menopause transition and post-reproductive years, enabling the person to achieve optimal health and well-being. Under the provisions of the bill, the interagency council is to consist of 15 members as follows: (1) the Director of the Office of Women's Health in the DOH, the Assistant Commissioner of Family Health Services in the DOH, and the Director of the Division on Women in the Department of Children and Families, or their designees, who will serve ex officio; and (2) 12 public members appointed by the Governor, who include: a person with perimenopause, a person with menopause, a public health educator, an expert in perimenopause and menopause treatment and research, a representative of a women's health organization, an epidemiologist, a gynecologist licensed to practice in this State who is a menopause specialist, a general practitioner licensed to practice in this State with expertise in treating persons experiencing perimenopause or menopause, a geriatrician licensed to practice in this State, a registered professional nurse licensed to practice in this State, a nutritionist who has experience in providing services to persons with perimenopause or menopause, and a representative of a women's health advocacy organization. The purpose of the interagency council is to: promote the health and quality of a person's life during midlife and beyond through an understanding of perimenopause, menopause, and healthy aging; disseminate evidence-based knowledge concerning perimenopause and menopause to health care professionals through multi-lingual and multi-cultural educational resources, programs, and events; support and promote research into all aspects of perimenopause, menopause, and post-reproductive health; facilitate collaboration and information-exchange between health care professionals, medical societies, governmental agencies, research institutions, community-based organizations, and other organizations or entities with shared interests and goals relating to the study of, and treating persons experiencing, perimenopause or menopause; encourage the multi-disciplinary delivery of health care from menopause transition to a person's post-reproductive years; develop and provide State-supported evidence-based treatment services related to perimenopause, menopause, and post-reproductive health; increase awareness and understanding of perimenopause and menopause through the provision of multi-lingual, culturally sensitive health information to health care professionals and policy makers; develop and establish a plan to disseminate information, through television, radio, Internet, print media, social media, and other forms of communication, about new treatment options, research findings, and ways in which a person experiencing perimenopause or menopause can access services in the State; and make policy recommendations to the Legislature on the quality of, and access to, treatment and services for persons experiencing perimenopause or menopause. The bill also requires the Commissioner of Health to report to the Governor and the Legislature, no later than 18 months after the effective date of bill, and annually thereafter, on the activities and accomplishments of the interagency council and its findings and recommendations on issues relating to the quality of, and access to, treatment and services for persons experiencing perimenopause or menopause in this State.

Committee Categories

Tennille McCoy (D)*,  Annette Quijano (D)*,  Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D)*,  Shanique Speight (D)*,  Andrea Katz (D),  Heather Simmons (D), 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Community Development and Women's Affairs Committee (on 02/22/2024)

Official Document