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

                                  8667

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            January 12, 2016
                               ___________

Introduced by M. of A. THIELE -- read once and referred to the Committee
  on Health

AN  ACT  to  amend  the  public health law, in relation to agreements to
  provide county, city and town social services departments with  access
  to death certificates

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

  Section 1. Subdivision 5 of section 4174 of the public health law,  as
amended  by  chapter  170  of  the  laws  of 1994, is amended to read as
follows:
  5. (a) The United States social security administration  OR  A  COUNTY
COMMISSIONER  OF  SOCIAL SERVICES, CITY COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SERVICES,
TOWN SOCIAL SERVICES OFFICER OR CITY SOCIAL SERVICES OFFICER AS  DEFINED
IN  SUBDIVISION  FOURTEEN  OF SECTION TWO OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES LAW may
obtain information from death certificates needed in the  administration
of  old-age and survivors insurance benefits laws AND THE ADMINISTRATION
OF ASSISTANCE OR CARE AS REFERENCED IN SECTION ONE HUNDRED  SIX  OF  THE
SOCIAL  SERVICES  LAW, subject to the provisions of any contract entered
into pursuant to paragraph (b) of this subdivision.
  (b) In addition, the commissioner or  any  person  authorized  by  the
commissioner  is  authorized  and  directed  to  enter into [a contract]
CONTRACTS to furnish the federal secretary of health and human services,
A COUNTY COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SERVICES, CITY  COMMISSIONER  OF  SOCIAL
SERVICES,  TOWN  SOCIAL SERVICES OFFICER OR CITY SOCIAL SERVICES OFFICER
AS DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION FOURTEEN OF SECTION TWO OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES
LAW WITH information concerning individuals with respect to  whom  death
certificates  have  been  officially  filed  with the commissioner. Such
[contract] CONTRACTS shall not include any restriction  on  the  use  of
information obtained by such secretary, COMMISSIONERS OR OFFICERS pursu-
ant  to such [contract] CONTRACTS, except that such [contract] CONTRACTS
may provide that such information is only to be used  by  the  secretary
(or  any  other federal agency), COMMISSIONERS OR OFFICERS (OR ANY OTHER
COUNTY AGENCIES OR TOWN OFFICES) for purposes of ensuring  that  federal
benefits or other payments are not erroneously paid to deceased individ-
uals OR TO ENABLE SUCH COMMISSIONERS OR OFFICERS TO PERFORM THEIR DUTIES
PURSUANT TO SECTION ONE HUNDRED SIX OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES LAW.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
              

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD00732-01-5