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“IN HONOR OF NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLYWOMAN NETTIE MAYERSOHN'S BABY AIDS BILL” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1060 on July 26, 2017.
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The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN HONOR OF NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLYWOMAN NETTIE MAYERSOHN'S BABY AIDS
BILL
______
HON. GRACE MENG
of new york
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Ms. MENG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of former New York State Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn, and her landmark law, commonly known as the ``Baby AIDS'' bill, that was enacted in New York State On June 26, 1996. The Baby AIDS bill requires mandatory testing of infants for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and HIV antibodies, and authorizes disclosing the results to infants' doctors and guardians.
Before the Baby AIDS bill became law, infants born in New York State were tested for the HIV antibody through studies that the New York State Department of Health initiated in 1987. But confidentiality laws at the time required these tests to be anonymous. Therefore, the guardians and doctors of the infants who tested positive were kept in the dark about the results. This caused nearly sixty percent of the 1,500-1,800 infants who tested positive per year to be sent home without diagnosis or treatment. As a mother myself, I cannot imagine the horror of being legally barred from knowing the health status of my child. That is why I am proud to recognize Assemblywoman Mayersohn for her relentless efforts on the behalf of New York families.
When Assemblywoman Mayersohn was informed that existing New York State law was preventing babies with HIV from being treated, she immediately took action by introducing the Baby AIDS bill in the New York State Assembly in 1993. As lawmakers, we all know that bills can go through multiple versions and can face criticism from the community. The Baby AIDS bill was no different. Assemblywoman Mayersohn worked tirelessly to show opposition groups that the Baby AIDS bill would allow infants to receive the treatment that they desperately needed and their guardians and doctors to be informed about their condition. As Assemblywoman Mayersohn said, ``I went to bed with it, and I woke up with it.'' Assemblywoman Mayersohn's efforts paid off, and it is no wonder that Assemblywoman Mayersohn's colleagues gave her a standing ovation after the final version of the Baby AIDS bill passed in the assembly in 1996.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to say that due to Assemblywoman Mayersohn's hard work, every infant in New York State is legally required to be tested for HIV and require hospitals to inform the infant's parent or guardian of the results. Statistics gathered soon after the law was enacted showed a 98.8 percent success rate in the number of HIV infants identified and connected to treatment. According to the New York State Health Department, from 1998 to 2013, Assemblywoman Mayersohn's Baby Aids law saved an estimated 900 infants from a lifetime of HIV. I am truly honored to recognize Assemblywoman Mayersohn, fondly known as
``Nettie'', and her law that truly improved the quality of life for so many New Yorkers.
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