Int. No. 912

By Council Members Gutiérrez, Narcisse, Menin, Hudson, Rivera, Gennaro, Abreu, Restler, Cabán. Brooks-Powers, Brannan, Avilés, De La Rosa, Sanchez and Hanif (by request of the Brooklyn Borough President)

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the department of social services to develop parenting resource materials and the department of health and mental hygiene to distribute such materials to new parents and guardians and to make available on their website information about community-based organizations that support maternal health

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Chapter 1 of title 21 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 21-153 to read as follows:

§ 21-153 Resource materials for new parents and guardians. a. The department shall develop written materials that identify resources available to new parents and guardians. The department shall update such materials periodically and as necessary to ensure the accuracy of information. The department shall provide such materials to the department of health and mental hygiene for distribution to new parents and guardians pursuant to section 17-168.2. Such materials shall include information regarding:

1. Essential items needed for the care of a child;

2. Child safety;

3. Breast feeding and child nutrition;

4. Social services programs available to new parents or guardians, including, but not limited to, the supplemental nutrition assistance program; the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children; cash assistance; rental assistance; food assistance; child care subsidies; and any other federal, state, or local program available to new parents or guardians;

5. Resources available for postpartum care;

6. Support groups for new parents;

7. The child and adolescent vaccine schedule recommended by the federal centers for disease control and prevention;

8. Laws prohibiting discrimination related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; prohibiting discrimination related to caregiver status; reasonable workplace accommodations including lactation accommodations; paid sick and safe leave; temporary schedule changes; temporary disability insurance; the federal family and medical leave act; and the disability benefits law and the paid family leave benefits law of the state of New York; and

9. Any other information that the commissioner determines could promote awareness of resources relevant to new parents or guardians.

b. The department shall develop the materials required by this section in consultation with the New York city commission on human rights, the department of consumer and worker protection, the department of youth and community development, the department of health and mental hygiene, community-based organizations with expertise in the workplace rights of pregnant workers, experts in midwifery, psychiatry with maternal health specialization, social work, doula care, substance use and domestic violence, and any other agency or person the commissioner deems appropriate.

§ 2. Chapter 1 of title 17 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 17-168.2 to read as follows:

§ 17-168.2 Distribution of new parent or guardian resource materials within 30 days of the receipt of the report of any birth. a. Within 30 days after the receipt of the report of any birth, the department shall provide the resource materials described in subdivision a of section 21-153 and contact information for the relevant local, state, and federal elected representatives to the parents or guardian of the child, at the address designated for receipt of the child’s certificate of registration of birth pursuant to section 17-168.

b. The department shall make such resource materials available on its website in English and each of the designated citywide languages as defined in section 23-1101 of the administrative code.

§ 3. Chapter 1 of title 17 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 17-199.26 to read as follows:

§ 17-199.26 Information on community-based organizations supporting maternal health. The department shall make information on city-contracted community-based organizations supporting maternal health available on the department’s website. Such information shall include, but need not be limited to, the services provided, the languages in which services are provided, the contact information, and the location. Such information shall be in a format such that users can search according to services provided, languages in which services are provided, location, and any other category determined by the commissioner. 

§ 4. This local law takes effect 120 days after it becomes law.

Session 13

JGP

LS #9720/14818

5/13/24 2:00 PM

Session 12

DR

LS #9720

2/15/23