Bill > S07012

This bill requires health care providers to facilitate a screening for maternal depression within the first six weeks after birth, unless the patient refuses the screening. The bill mandates that if a patient declines the screening, the healthcare provider must document the refusal in the patient's medical records, and this refusal cannot be used as a basis for denying care or taking action against the patient. Additionally, the bill amends insurance laws to ensure that maternity care coverage includes these depression screenings, and that patients have direct access to such screenings from providers of obstetrical, gynecologic, or pediatric services. The legislation aims to improve early detection and support for postpartum depression by making screening a standard part of maternal healthcare, while also protecting patients' rights to refuse screening. The bill will take effect one year after becoming law and will apply to new and renewed insurance policies from that date forward, with immediate authorization for developing necessary implementation regulations.

Health and Social Services

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S7012