Bill > S07171

This bill establishes an environmental health tracking system in New York State to comprehensively gather, analyze, and link environmental and health data to better understand potential connections between environmental exposures and chronic diseases. The system will be developed collaboratively by the Department of Health, Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of Labor, Workers' Compensation Board, and the State University of New York's schools of public health at Albany and Buffalo. The primary objectives are to create a continually updated database that tracks chronic diseases in relation to environmental exposures, make data publicly accessible, and provide information for developing preventive strategies. A working group of technical experts will be assembled by September 2025 to develop implementation approaches, with a report due by September 2027 and full implementation expected by January 2028. The system will focus on tracking diseases like birth defects, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, asthma, and neurological disorders, using existing health and environmental databases, conducting population surveys, and performing biomonitoring to assess potential environmental impacts on human health. The bill emphasizes creating a scientific, data-driven approach to understanding and potentially preventing environmentally-linked chronic diseases while ensuring participant confidentiality and ethical data collection practices.

Health and Social Services

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S7171