Albany is lying about the official description of A6761/S8352, “The Worst Children’s Health Bill Ever,” on the State Senate and Assembly websites. The Assembly description says the bill, “allows homeless youth to give effective consent to certain medical, dental, health, and hospital services, provides for insurance coverage of such health care services consented to by such youth.“ The Senate website says S8352 would, “Allows certain minors to consent to certain medical, dental, health, and hospital services.” What the bill really does is allow ANY  medical procedure to be done to ANY and ALL minors in New York without parental knowledge or consent. This fact was confirmed yesterday by Justin Westbrook-Lowery, Chief of Staff for A6761 sponsor Assemblymember Karines Reyes.  A6761/S8352 completely eradicates parental control over what happens medically to our children.

Right now, there are close to 10,000 bills in Albany. Frequently, the only thing legislators know about a bill is what is included in the one sentence official description. They often vote based on this single sentence. We are getting feedback from legislators and staffers showing that they believe A6761/S8352 only affects homeless children and not every minor in the state. 

We must make sure they understand what this boll really does. We need to set the record straight! And get the Assemlby and State senate to publish an accurate description of the bill.

 

TAKE ACTION

 

Please use the panel to the right to send a message to your Assemblymember and State Senator telling them the truth about A6761/S8352.

Please call your Assemblymember and State Senator and politely let them know that despite what the official description says, this bill applies to EVERY child in New York. 

Look them up here:

https://nyassembly.gov/mem/search/

https://www.nysenate.gov/find-my-senator

 

Call the bill sponsors and politely ask what they intend to do to stop this deception of the people of New York about A6761/S8352:

 

Senator Rachel May, (518) 455-2838, (315) 478-8745 

Karines Reyes, Sponsor, (718) 931-2620, (518) 455-5102

 

Call the bosses of the legislature and politely ask what they intend to do to stop this deception of the people of New York about A6761/S8352:

 

Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Senate Majority Leader

Legislative Office Building, Room 907

Albany, NY 12247

Phone: (518) 455-2585

Fax: (518) 426-6811

scousins@nysenate.gov

Twitter/X: @AndreaSCousins

https://www.facebook.com/andrea.stewartcousins

 

Carl Heastie, Speaker of the Assembly

LOB 932, Albany, NY 12248

(518) 455-3791, (718) 654-6539

speaker@nyassembly.gov

Twitter/X: @carlheastie

https://www.facebook.com/carl.heastie

 

The key language in the bill says, “Any person, including a minor, who comprehends the need for, the nature of and the reasonably foreseeable risks and benefits involved in any contemplated medical, dental, health and/or hospital services and any alternatives thereto, may give effective consent to such services for themselves, and the consent of no other person shall be necessary. The commissioner is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the provisions of this subdivision.” 

Asm. Reyes acknowledges the bill covers all childrenin the Memo she wrote for the bill saying it would allow “A minor who comprehends the need for, the nature of, and the reasonably foreseeable risks involved in a health services, as well as alternatives, may consent to the service on their own.” 

Similarly, the New York Civil Liberties Union in a statement supporting A6761/S8352, wrote “A.6761 (Reyes) would fill the gaps in New York law by allowing decisionally-capable young people to consent to their own health care. The NYCLU strongly supports A.6761 and urges its immediate passage.” 

Please share this message with friends and family and please post to social media.

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