New York A 7204: Requires pediatric care providers to screen every child beginning at the age of twelve months for autism spectrum disorders

Status: REFERRED TO HEALTH (as of 2026-01-07)

State: New York · Session: 2025-2026 · Bill: A 7204

Sponsors: Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, Andrew Hevesi, Karines Reyes, Philip Ramos, William Colton, William Conrad

Bill Text

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A07204 Summary:

BILL NOA07204 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS S03898

&nbsp

SPONSORBichotte Hermelyn

&nbsp

COSPNSRColton, Conrad, Hevesi, Ramos, Reyes

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

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Amd §2500-j, Pub Health L; add §16.39, Ment Hyg L

&nbsp

Directs the commissioner of health and commissioner of the office for people with developmental disabilities to jointly promulgate rules and regulations requiring pediatric health care providers to screen children beginning at the age of 12 months for autism spectrum disorders during each wellness and preventative care examination and to conduct such screening annually until such child reaches age six, and thereafter at eleven and fourteen years of age.

Go to top A07204 Actions:

BILL NOA07204 

&nbsp

03/21/2025referred to health

01/07/2026referred to health

Go to topA07204 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA07204 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topA07204 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 7204

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 March 21, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. BICHOTTE HERMELYN, COLTON, CONRAD, HEVESI, RAMOS,
 REYES -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health

 AN ACT to amend the public health law and the mental hygiene law, in
 relation to directing the commissioner of health and the commissioner
 of the office for people with developmental disabilities to promulgate
 rules and regulations requiring every child beginning at the age of
 twelve months to be examined for autism spectrum disorders

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Section 2500-j of the public health law, as added by chap-
 2 ter 335 of the laws of 2008, the opening paragraph of subdivision 1 as
 3 amended by chapter 241 of the laws of 2018, is amended to read as
 4 follows:
 5 § 2500-j. [Autism spectrum disorders; screening of children] Pediatric
 6 wellness visits; screening for autism spectrum disorders. 1. The commis-
 7 sioner shall [establish, for use by], jointly with the commissioner of
 8 the office for people with developmental disabilities, and on or before
 9 May first, two thousand twenty-six, promulgate rules and regulations
 10 requiring every pediatric primary care [providers, best practice proto-
 11 cols for early screening of children for autism spectrum disorders,
 12 including but not limited to developmental screening for children three
 13 years of age and under. Such protocols shall incorporate standards and
 14 guidelines established by the American Academy of Pediatrics, shall be
 15 updated at least biennially, and shall include, but not be limited to:]
 16 provider, conducting a wellness and preventative care examination, on or
 17 after September first, two thousand twenty-six, of a child twelve months
 18 of age or older, to screen such child for autism spectrum disorders, and
 19 conduct such screening annually until the child reaches six years of
 20 age, and thereafter at eleven and fourteen years of age.
 21 2. In addition, such rules and regulations shall establish guidelines
 22 and protocols for:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD07322-01-5

 A. 7204 2

 1 (a) the best practices for the screening for and diagnosis of autism
 2 spectrum disorders;
 3 (b) the routine employment of objective autism spectrum disorder
 4 screening tools [at regular intervals during critical childhood develop-
 5 mental stages;
 6 (b) a provider/parental dialogue, utilizing the modified checklist for
 7 autism in toddlers as a reference, intended to educate parents in regard
 8 to autism spectrum disorders]; and
 9 (c) an appropriate referral mechanism for children who, based upon
 10 results of the aforementioned screening process, require further evalu-
 11 ation.
 12 [2. The modified checklist for autism in toddlers referred to in
 13 subdivision one of this section shall be accessible by the public on the
 14 department's internet website.
 15 3. The commissioner shall promulgate any rules and regulations neces-
 16 sary to implement the provisions of this section.] 3. If the commission-
 17 er and the commissioner of the office for

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