Women's Issues Committee advances five maternal‑health bills to first reading

The New York State Senate Women's Issues Committee on Wednesday advanced five bills related to pregnancy, postpartum care and reproductive health to first reading.

Committee members moved and approved S.3575A (by Senator Clear), which would amend the Public Health Law to establish a uterine fibroids awareness and education program; S.56658 (by Senator Clear), to create a doula awareness and education program; S.6494 (by Senator Clear), to require health insurance policies to include coverage for doula services as required maternity-care coverage; S.8622 (by Senator Bruck), to provide funding support for doula workspaces; and S.9076 (by Senator Gonzalez), directing the Department of Health to create an informational pamphlet on intrauterine devices.

The chair introduced each bill and the committee clerk read the short descriptions that appear in the record. Motions to advance the bills were recorded as follows in the meeting transcript: S.3575A — motion by Senator April Baskin, seconded by a senator identified in the record as Kansana; S.56658 — motion credited in the transcript to Senator Canzoneri Fitzpatrick, seconded by Senator Baskin; S.6494 — motion by Senator Baskin, seconded by Senator Canzoneri Fitzpatrick; S.8622 — motion by Senator Baskin, seconded by Senator Canzoneri Fitzpatrick; S.9076 — motion by Senator Baskin, seconded by Senator Canzoneri Fitzpatrick. Each motion was approved by voice vote and each bill was moved to first reading.

The bills differ in subject and legal target: three are drafted as amendments to the Public Health Law (S.3575A; S.56658; S.8622), one would amend the Insurance Law to require doula coverage as part of maternity care (S.6494), and one directs the Department of Health to prepare public informational material about intrauterine devices (S.9076). The transcript does not record roll-call vote tallies or further debate on bill language; approvals are recorded as voice votes and not shown as recorded roll-call counts.

There were no formal amendments or defeated motions recorded in the hearing. The chair closed the session after the final motion was approved; the committee did not take additional floor debate or make further referrals on the bills during this meeting.