S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
7262
I N S E N A T E
May 8, 2014
___________
Introduced by Sen. HANNON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to authorizing
schools to possess and administer epinephrine auto-injectors in emer-
gency situations
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 3000-c of the public health law, as added by chap-
ter 578 of the laws of 1999, paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 as amended
by chapter 350 of the laws of 2001, is amended to read as follows:
S 3000-c. Epinephrine auto-injector devices. 1. Definitions. As used
in this section:
(a) "Eligible person, firm, organization, or other entity" means, (i)
an ambulance service or advanced life support first response service; a
certified first responder, emergency medical technician, or advanced
emergency medical technician, who is employed by or an enrolled member
of any such service; (ii) a children's overnight camp as defined in
subdivision one of section thirteen hundred ninety-two of this chapter,
a summer day camp as defined in subdivision two of section thirteen
hundred ninety-two of this chapter, a traveling summer day camp as
defined in subdivision three of section thirteen hundred ninety-two of
this chapter or a person employed by such a camp; or (iii) SCHOOL
DISTRICTS, BOARDS OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, COUNTY VOCATIONAL
EDUCATION AND EXTENSION BOARDS, CHARTER SCHOOLS, OR A DULY HIRED NURSE
OF ANY SUCH ENTITY; OR (IV) any other person, firm, organization or
entity designated pursuant to regulations of the commissioner in consul-
tation with other appropriate agencies; and all subject to regulations
of the commissioner.
(b) "Emergency health care provider" means (i) a physician with know-
ledge and experience in the delivery of emergency care; or (ii) a hospi-
tal licensed under article twenty-eight of this chapter that provides
emergency care.
2. Collaborative agreement. Any eligible person, firm, organization or
other entity may purchase, acquire, possess and use epinephrine auto-in-
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11334-02-3
S. 7262 2
jector devices pursuant to a collaborative agreement with an emergency
health care provider. The collaborative agreement shall include a writ-
ten agreement that incorporates written practice protocols, and policies
and procedures that shall ensure compliance with the provisions of this
section. The person, firm, organization or entity shall file a copy of
the collaborative agreement with the department and with the appropriate
regional council prior to using any epinephrine auto-injector device.
3. Possession and use of epinephrine auto-injector devices. Possession
and use of epinephrine auto-injector devices shall be limited as
follows:
(a) No person shall use an epinephrine auto-injector device unless
such person shall have successfully completed a training course in the
use of epinephrine auto-injector devices approved by the commissioner
pursuant to the rules of the department. This section does not prohibit
the use of an epinephrine auto-injector device (i) by a health care
practitioner licensed or certified under title eight of the education
law acting within the scope of his or her practice, or (ii) by a person
acting pursuant to a lawful prescription, OR (III) A SCHOOL NURSE ACTING
IN ACCORDANCE WITH PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
(b) (I) A SCHOOL DISTRICT, BOARD OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES,
COUNTY VOCATIONAL EDUCATIONAL AND EXTENSION BOARD, CHARTER SCHOOL, OR
SCHOOL NURSE MAY, WITH OR WITHOUT A COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENT, POSSESS AND
MAINTAIN EPINEPHRINE AUTO-INJECTORS ON SCHOOL PROPERTY. THE COMMISSION-
ER, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION, SHALL DETERMINE
THE QUANTITY AND TYPE OF AUTO-INJECTORS THAT MAY BE POSSESSED. SUCH
AUTO-INJECTORS SHALL BE STORED AND MAINTAINED IN A MANNER PRESCRIBED BY
THE COMMISSIONER.
(II) A SCHOOL NURSE, OR OTHER PERSON DESIGNATED BY THE SCHOOL
DISTRICT, IS AUTHORIZED TO ADMINISTER AN EPINEPHRINE AUTO-INJECTOR IN
THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY, WHETHER OR NOT THE PATIENT HAS BEEN
PRESCRIBED EPINEPHRINE.
(C) Every person, firm, organization and entity authorized to possess
and use epinephrine auto-injector devices pursuant to this section shall
use, maintain and dispose of such devices pursuant to regulations of the
department.
[(c)] (D) Every use of an epinephrine auto-injector device pursuant to
this section shall immediately be reported to the emergency health care
provider.
4. Application of other laws. (a) Use of an epinephrine auto-injector
device pursuant to this section shall be considered first aid or emer-
gency treatment for the purpose of any statute relating to liability.
(b) Purchase, acquisition, possession or use of an epinephrine auto-
injector device pursuant to this section shall not constitute the unlaw-
ful practice of a profession or other violation under title eight of the
education law or article thirty-three of this chapter.
(c) Any person otherwise authorized to sell or provide an epinephrine
auto-injector device may sell or provide it to a person authorized to
possess it pursuant to this section.
S 2. Subdivision 2 of section 3000-a of the public health law, as
amended by chapter 243 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as
follows:
2. (i) Any person who, or entity, partnership, corporation, firm or
society that, purchases, operates, facilitates implementation or makes
available resuscitation equipment that facilitates first aid, an auto-
mated external defibrillator or an epinephrine auto-injector device as
required by or pursuant to law or local law, or (ii) an emergency health
S. 7262 3
care provider under a collaborative agreement pursuant to section three
thousand-b of this article with respect to an automated external defi-
brillator, or (iii) the emergency health care provider with a collabora-
tive agreement under section three thousand-c of this article with
respect to use of an epinephrine auto-injector device, OR (IV) A SCHOOL
NURSE OR OTHER PERSON DESIGNATED BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT UNDER PARAGRAPH
(B) OF SUBDIVISION THREE OF SECTION THREE THOUSAND-C OF THIS ARTICLE,
shall not be liable for damages arising either from the use of that
equipment by a person who voluntarily and without expectation of mone-
tary compensation renders first aid or emergency treatment at the scene
of an accident or medical emergency, or from the use of defectively
manufactured equipment; provided that this subdivision shall not limit
the person's or entity's, partnership's, corporation's, firm's, socie-
ty's or the emergency health care provider's liability for his, her or
its own negligence, gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
S 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the commissioner of
health, in consultation with the commissioner of education, may promul-
gate any rule or regulation necessary for the timely implementation of
this act on its effective date.