S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  1277

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                             January 9, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced by M. of A. CAHILL -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BARRETT,
  BRENNAN, COOK, DUPREY, GRAF, GUNTHER, JAFFEE, LUPARDO, MAYER, McLAUGH-
  LIN,  MOSLEY,  PERRY,  RIVERA,  ROBERTS, ROBINSON, ROSENTHAL, SCHIMEL,
  SIMANOWITZ, SKARTADOS, SKOUFIS, STECK, TENNEY, THIELE, TITONE --  read
  once and referred to the Committee on Insurance

AN  ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to coverage of long term
  medical care for Lyme disease and other tick borne related  pathogens;
  and  to  amend  the  tax law and the state finance law, in relation to
  providing  for  taxpayer  gifts  for  tick  borne  illness   research,
  detection  and  education  and  establishing  the  tick  borne illness
  research, detection and education fund

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "tick borne
illness treatment and education act of 2015".
  S 2. Subsection (i) of section 3216 of the insurance law is amended by
adding a new paragraph 32 to read as follows:
  (32)  EVERY  INSURER ISSUING A POLICY OF ACCIDENT AND HEALTH INSURANCE
FOR DELIVERY IN THIS STATE SHALL PROVIDE  COVERAGE  FOR  ALL  COSTS  FOR
TREATMENT  OF  LYME  DISEASE  (LYME  BORRELIOSIS)  AND  OTHER TICK BORNE
RELATED PATHOGENS.  SUCH TREATMENT MAY  INCLUDE  INTRAVENOUS  ANTIBIOTIC
THERAPY,  ORAL ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY, OR ANY OTHER TREATMENT, OR ANY COMBI-
NATION OF TREATMENTS, PROVIDED SUCH TREATMENT IS RECOMMENDED BY A PHYSI-
CIAN LICENSED TO PRACTICE MEDICINE IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
  S 3. Subsection (l) of section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by
adding a new paragraph 19 to read as follows:
  (19) EVERY GROUP OR BLANKET POLICY DELIVERED OR ISSUED FOR DELIVERY IN
THIS STATE WHICH PROVIDES HOSPITAL, SURGICAL OR MEDICAL  COVERAGE  SHALL
PROVIDE  COVERAGE  FOR  ALL  COSTS  FOR  TREATMENT OF LYME DISEASE (LYME
BORRELIOSIS) AND OTHER TICK BORNE RELATED PATHOGENS.  SUCH TREATMENT MAY
INCLUDE INTRAVENOUS ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY, ORAL ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY, OR  ANY

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01497-02-5
              

A. 1277                             2

OTHER  TREATMENT, OR ANY COMBINATION OF TREATMENTS, PROVIDED SUCH TREAT-
MENT IS RECOMMENDED BY A PHYSICIAN LICENSED TO PRACTICE MEDICINE IN  THE
STATE OF NEW YORK.
  S  4.  Section  4303  of  the insurance law is amended by adding a new
subsection (pp) to read as follows:
  (PP) EVERY MEDICAL EXPENSE  INDEMNITY  CORPORATION,  HOSPITAL  SERVICE
CORPORATION  AND  HEALTH SERVICE CORPORATION WHICH PROVIDES COVERAGE FOR
MEDICAL, SURGICAL OR MAJOR MEDICAL CARE SHALL PROVIDE COVERAGE  FOR  ALL
COSTS  FOR  TREATMENT  OF LYME DISEASE (LYME BORRELIOSIS) AND OTHER TICK
BORNE RELATED PATHOGENS.  SUCH TREATMENT MAY INCLUDE INTRAVENOUS ANTIBI-
OTIC THERAPY, ORAL ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY, OR ANY OTHER  TREATMENT,  OR  ANY
COMBINATION  OF  TREATMENTS, PROVIDED SUCH TREATMENT IS RECOMMENDED BY A
PHYSICIAN LICENSED TO PRACTICE MEDICINE IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
  S 5. The tax law is amended by adding a new section 209-I to  read  as
follows:
  S  209-I.  GIFT  FOR TICK BORNE ILLNESS RESEARCH, DETECTION AND EDUCA-
TION.  A TAXPAYER IN ANY TAXABLE YEAR MAY ELECT  TO  CONTRIBUTE  TO  THE
SUPPORT  OF  THE  TICK  BORNE  ILLNESS RESEARCH, DETECTION AND EDUCATION
FUND. SUCH CONTRIBUTION SHALL BE IN ANY WHOLE DOLLAR  AMOUNT  AND  SHALL
NOT  REDUCE  THE  AMOUNT  OF  THE  STATE  TAX OWED BY SUCH TAXPAYER. THE
COMMISSIONER SHALL INCLUDE SPACE ON THE CORPORATE INCOME TAX  RETURN  TO
ENABLE  A  TAXPAYER TO MAKE SUCH CONTRIBUTION. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER
PROVISION OF LAW, ALL REVENUES COLLECTED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION  SHALL
BE  CREDITED TO THE TICK BORNE ILLNESS RESEARCH, DETECTION AND EDUCATION
FUND AND SHALL BE USED ONLY FOR THOSE  PURPOSES  ENUMERATED  IN  SECTION
NINETY-SEVEN-CC OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW.
  S  6.  The tax law is amended by adding a new section 630-d to read as
follows:
  S 630-D. GIFT FOR TICK BORNE ILLNESS RESEARCH,  DETECTION  AND  EDUCA-
TION.   AN INDIVIDUAL IN ANY TAXABLE YEAR MAY ELECT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE
TICK BORNE ILLNESS RESEARCH, DETECTION AND EDUCATION FUND. SUCH CONTRIB-
UTION SHALL BE IN ANY WHOLE DOLLAR  AMOUNT  AND  SHALL  NOT  REDUCE  THE
AMOUNT  OF  STATE  TAX  OWED  BY SUCH INDIVIDUAL. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL
INCLUDE SPACE ON THE PERSONAL INCOME TAX RETURN TO ENABLE A TAXPAYER  TO
MAKE  SUCH CONTRIBUTION.  NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW ALL
REVENUES COLLECTED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL  BE  CREDITED  TO  THE
TICK  BORNE ILLNESS RESEARCH, DETECTION AND EDUCATION FUND AND USED ONLY
FOR THOSE PURPOSES ENUMERATED IN SECTION NINETY-SEVEN-CC  OF  THE  STATE
FINANCE LAW.
  S 7. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 97-cc to
read as follows:
  S 97-CC. TICK BORNE ILLNESS RESEARCH, DETECTION AND EDUCATION FUND. 1.
THERE  IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED IN THE JOINT CUSTODY OF THE COMMISSIONER OF
TAXATION AND FINANCE AND THE COMPTROLLER, A SPECIAL FUND TO BE KNOWN  AS
THE "TICK BORNE ILLNESS RESEARCH, DETECTION AND EDUCATION FUND".
  2.  SUCH FUND SHALL CONSIST OF ALL REVENUES RECEIVED BY THE DEPARTMENT
OF TAXATION AND FINANCE, PURSUANT TO  THE  PROVISIONS  OF  SECTIONS  TWO
HUNDRED  NINE-I  AND  SIX  HUNDRED THIRTY-D OF THE TAX LAW AND ALL OTHER
MONEYS APPROPRIATED, CREDITED, OR TRANSFERRED  THERETO  FROM  ANY  OTHER
FUND  OR SOURCE PURSUANT TO LAW. NOTHING CONTAINED IN THIS SECTION SHALL
PREVENT THE STATE FROM RECEIVING  GRANTS,  GIFTS  OR  BEQUESTS  FOR  THE
PURPOSES OF THE FUND AS DEFINED IN THIS SECTION AND DEPOSITING THEM INTO
THE FUND ACCORDING TO LAW.
  3.  MONIES  OF  THE FUND SHALL BE EXPENDED ONLY FOR TICK BORNE ILLNESS
RESEARCH,  DETECTION  AND  EDUCATION  PROJECTS   PURSUANT   TO   SECTION
TWENTY-SEVEN HUNDRED NINETY-EIGHT OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW.

A. 1277                             3

  4.  MONIES  SHALL BE PAYABLE FROM THE FUND ON THE AUDIT AND WARRANT OF
THE COMPTROLLER ON VOUCHERS APPROVED AND CERTIFIED BY  THE  COMMISSIONER
OF HEALTH.
  5.  TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE, THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH SHALL ENSURE
THAT ALL MONIES RECEIVED DURING A FISCAL YEAR ARE EXPENDED PRIOR TO  THE
END OF THAT FISCAL YEAR.
  S 8. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
it  shall have become a law provided, however, that effective immediate-
ly, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any  rules  or  regulations
necessary  for  the implementation of this act on its effective date are
authorized to be made on or before such effective date.