S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10393
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                May 4, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A. LENTOL, FERNANDEZ, EICHENSTEIN, STERN, ORTIZ,
   JACOBSON, GALEF, McDONALD, D'URSO, ABINANTI, DINOWITZ, MOSLEY, THIELE,
   ENGLEBRIGHT -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
 
 AN ACT to establish the compassionate helper volunteer program
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  Compassionate Helper Volunteer Program. 1. The department
 of health, in cooperation with the city of New York department of health
 and mental hygiene and local county departments of health, shall  estab-
 lish  a  compassionate helper volunteer program to implement a system by
 which eligible volunteers may provide free non-medical, quality of  life
 services  in  hospitals to individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and to
 their families.
   2. The commissioner of health is authorized and directed to promulgate
 such rules and regulations as are necessary to implement the  provisions
 of this act.  Such rules and regulations shall:
   (a) qualify individuals to participate in the volunteer program pursu-
 ant to subdivision three of this section;
   (b)  enable the compassionate helper volunteer program to provide free
 non-medical, quality of life services to individuals  hospitalized  with
 COVID-19 and to their families including but not limited to:
   (i)  providing  support  to  hospitalized  patients including reading,
 playing music or sitting with such hospitalized individuals; and
   (ii) assisting hospitalized individuals with non-medical contact  with
 families and friends including by mobile telephone or portable electron-
 ic device; and
   (c)  authorize  hospitals that participate in the volunteer program to
 select and/or terminate all volunteers serving at such hospital.
   3. A person is eligible to participate as a volunteer under  this  act
 if he or she:
   (a) has been tested by the state or local department of health and has
 been found to have the antibodies to COVID-19;
   (b) has agreed to participate in the volunteer program without compen-
 sation or the expectation of compensation;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD16255-01-0

 A. 10393                            2
 
   (c)  has  received  training  from  the state or a local department of
 health to provide volunteer program services; and
   (d)  meets  any  other qualifications established by the department of
 health.
   4. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law to the  contrary,
 the commissioner of health is authorized to waive, modify or suspend the
 provisions  of  rules  and  regulations  promulgated pursuant to article
 twenty-eight of the public health law if  such  commissioner  determines
 that  such  waiver,  modification  or  suspension  is  necessary for the
 successful implementing of the compassionate  helper  volunteer  program
 authorized  pursuant  to  this  act  and provided that such commissioner
 determines that the health, safety and general welfare of people receiv-
 ing services under such volunteer program will  not  be  impaired  as  a
 result of such waiver, modification or suspension.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.