NY State Senate Bill 2021-S1621

Senate Bill S1621

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Requires the commissioner of health to ensure all nursing home residents and staff receive COVID-19 testing

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Health Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 05, 2022	referred to health
Jan 14, 2021	referred to health

co-Sponsors

2021-S1621 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Health
Law Section:: Public Health
Versions Introduced in 2019-2020 Legislative Session:: S8385

2021-S1621 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Enacts the "New York Nursing Home Protection Act of 2021" which requires the commissioner of health to ensure all nursing home staff receives COVID-19 testing twice weekly and all residents shall receive such testing weekly; establishes the department of health shall provide sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) for all staff and residents.

2021-S1621 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S1621

SPONSOR: SANDERS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act requiring the commissioner of health to ensure all nursing home
residents and staff receive COVID-19 testing; and providing for the
repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof

 
PURPOSE:

This bill would require the commissioner of health to ensure all nursing
home residents and staff receive COVID-19 testing and that nursing homes
are provided sufficient personal protective equipment PPE).

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Section 1. The commissioner of health shall create and imple-
ment a program to ensure that all staff of nursing homes throughout the
state are tested twice weekly for COVID-19. Residents shall be tested
for COVID-19 on a weekly basis. The department of health shall provide

sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) for all staff and resi-
dents and provide for the cost of the testing.

Section 2: Definitions.

Section 3: Funding.

Section 4. Effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

New York state and the nation have been hit hard by a worldwide COVID-19
pandemic. New York City has been the epicenter of the coronavirus with
thousands of lives lost since March 2020. Nursing homes are particularly
at high risk for death resulting from COVID-19. Various jurisdictions,
including the State of Pennsylvania, are requiring testing at nursing
homes. Therefore, this bill would require the commissioner of health to
ensure all nursing home residents and staff receive COVID-19 testing and
that nursing homes are provided sufficient personal protective equipment
(PPE).

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Necessary funding to implement the program established in section one of
this act shall come from existing resources, federal funds, private
sources, and appropriations from the General Fund.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2021-S1621 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1621
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 14, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. SANDERS, RITCHIE -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
 
 AN ACT requiring the commissioner of health to ensure all  nursing  home
   residents  and  staff  receive COVID-19 testing; and providing for the
   repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof

   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 "New York
 Nursing Home Protection Act of 2021".
   § 2. The commissioner of health shall create and implement  a  program
 to ensure that all staff of nursing homes throughout the state are test-
 ed  twice weekly for COVID-19. Residents shall be tested for COVID-19 on
 a weekly basis.  The  department  of  health  shall  provide  sufficient
 personal  protective  equipment  (PPE)  for  all staff and residents and
 provide for the cost of the testing.
   § 3. For the purposes of this act, the following terms shall have  the
 following meanings:
   (a)  "nursing home" shall mean a place to live where care is available
 for people of all ages, including children,  who  need  twenty-four-hour
 nursing  care  and  supervision  outside  of a hospital. Such care shall
 include basic care and specialized services;
   (b) "nursing home resident" shall mean a person who resides in a nurs-
 ing home; and
   (c) "nursing home staff" shall mean a person  who  is  employed  by  a
 nursing home.
   § 4. Necessary funding to implement the program established in section
 one  of  this  act  shall  come  from existing resources, federal funds,
 private sources, and appropriations from the general fund.
   § 5. This  act  shall  take  effect  immediately;  provided  that  the
 provisions  of  this  act  shall  expire and be deemed repealed upon the
 expiration of the declared state of  emergency  relating  to  the  novel
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD00147-01-1

 S. 1621                             2
 
 coronavirus  (COVID-19); and provided, further, that the commissioner of
 health shall notify the legislative bill drafting  commission  upon  the
 occurrence of the expiration of the state disaster emergency declared by
 executive  order number 202 and any further amendments or modifications,
 and as may be further extended pursuant to section 28 of  the  executive
 law,  in  order  that the commission may maintain an accurate and timely
 effective data base of the official text of the laws of the state of New
 York in furtherance of effectuating the provisions of section 44 of  the
 legislative law and section 70-b of the public officers law.

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Senate Bill S1621

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Sponsored By

James Sanders Jr.