File #: Int 1001-2024    Version: Name: Creating an automated text messaging system to provide participants with guidance and reminders regarding children’s health and development.
Type: Introduction Status: Enacted (Mayor's Desk for Signature)
Committee: Committee on Health
On agenda: 8/15/2024
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to creating an automated text messaging system to provide participants with guidance and reminders regarding children's health and development
Sponsors: Jennifer Gutiérrez, Tiffany Cabán, Shahana K. Hanif, Julie Menin, Justin L. Brannan, Kevin C. Riley, Chi A. Ossé, Sandy Nurse, Rita C. Joseph, Crystal Hudson, Carmen N. De La Rosa, Pierina Ana Sanchez, Shekar Krishnan, Chris Banks, Oswald Feliz, Farah N. Louis, Susan Zhuang
Council Member Sponsors: 17
Summary: This bill would require an office or agency designated by the mayor to establish an automated text message system that sends parents and guardians reminders and guidance about children’s health and development, including information like recommended medical checkups, vaccination schedules, and deadlines for early childhood education and public school enrollment. Parents and guardians would be able to sign up using just a phone number and choose to receive messages in multiple citywide languages. The office or agency would also be required to conduct an outreach campaign to parents, guardians, healthcare providers, doulas, and midwives about the program.
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 1001-A, 2. Summary of Int. No. 1001, 3. Int. No. 1001, 4. August 15, 2024 - Stated Meeting Agenda, 5. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 8-15-24, 6. Minutes of the Stated Meeting - August 15, 2024, 7. Committee Report 6/26/25, 8. Fiscal Impact Statement - City Council, 9. Fiscal Impact Statement - OMB, 10. Hearing Testimony 6/26/25, 11. Hearing Transcript 6/26/25, 12. Proposed Int. No. 1001-A - 10/22/25, 13. Committee Report 10/29/25, 14. Int. No. 1001-A - Fiscal Impact Statement - City Council, 15. Int. No. 1001-A - Fiscal Impact Statement - OMB, 16. October 29, 2025 - Stated Meeting Agenda
Date Ver.Prime SponsorAction ByActionResultAction DetailsMeeting DetailsMultimedia
10/29/2025AJennifer Gutiérrez City Council Sent to Mayor by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
10/29/2025AJennifer Gutiérrez City Council Approved by CouncilPass Action details Meeting details Not available
10/29/2025*Jennifer Gutiérrez Committee on Health Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
10/29/2025*Jennifer Gutiérrez Committee on Health Amendment Proposed by Comm  Action details Meeting details Not available
10/29/2025*Jennifer Gutiérrez Committee on Health Amended by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
10/29/2025AJennifer Gutiérrez Committee on Health Approved by CommitteePass Action details Meeting details Not available
6/26/2025*Jennifer Gutiérrez Committee on Health Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
6/26/2025*Jennifer Gutiérrez Committee on Health Laid Over by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
8/15/2024*Jennifer Gutiérrez City Council Referred to Comm by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
8/15/2024*Jennifer Gutiérrez City Council Introduced by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available

Int. No. 1001-A

 

By Council Members Gutiérrez, Cabán, Hanif, Menin, Brannan, Riley, Ossé, Nurse, Joseph, Hudson, De La Rosa, Sanchez, Krishnan, Banks, Feliz, Louis and Zhuang

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to creating an automated text messaging system to provide participants with guidance and reminders regarding children’s health and development

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. Subchapter 1 of chapter 1 of title 3 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 3-119.8.1 to read as follows:

§ 3-119.8.1 Automated text messaging system. a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

Child. The term “child” means a person under the age of 18.

Doula. The term “doula” has the same meaning as set forth in section 17-199.10.

Healthcare provider. The term “healthcare provider” means an individual duly licensed or otherwise authorized to practice a health profession pursuant to applicable law, such as a physician, registered professional nurse, nurse practitioner, and physician assistant.

Midwife. The term “midwife” has the same meaning as set forth in section 17-199.17.

Participant. The term “participant” means a parent or legal guardian responsible for a child, who has consented to receive text messages from the system established pursuant to subdivision b of this section.

b. System established. An office or agency designated by the mayor shall establish an automated text messaging system to send participants certain child health and development guidance and reminders including, but not limited to, medical checkups and vaccination schedules as recommended by the commissioner of health and mental hygiene, early childhood education program registration deadlines, and public school registration deadlines. Such system shall allow enrollment with a telephone number without requiring additional information, and shall provide participants the option to receive messages in one or more designated citywide languages, as defined in section 23-1101.

c. Outreach. The office or agency designated by the mayor, pursuant to subdivision b of this section, shall conduct an outreach campaign to inform the public, healthcare providers, doulas, and midwives of the availability of the system established pursuant to such subdivision. Materials used for such outreach shall be available in the designated citywide languages, as defined in section 23-1101, and any additional languages as determined by the agency or office designated by the mayor.

d. Personal identifying information. In carrying out the requirements of this section the office or agency designated by the mayor shall comply with all applicable provisions of federal, state, or local law relating to the protection of personal identifying information.

§ 2. This local law takes effect 1 year after it becomes law.

 

SM/SOS

LS #16297

10/21/25 8pm