Senate Bill S163B

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Establishes a penalty and cause of action for intentional destruction of medical records by a party to a medical malpractice action, or by an agent thereof

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Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Judiciary 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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Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2021-S163 - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Judiciary
Law Section:
Civil Practice Law and Rules
Laws Affected:
Amd §§3126 & 3101, CPLR
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2009-2010: S6131
2011-2012: S2531
2013-2014: S600
2015-2016: S2474
2017-2018: S3132
2019-2020: S293
2023-2024: S152

2021-S163 - Summary

Establishes a penalty of not less than $1,000 for each intentional destruction, mutilation or significant alteration of a medical record by a party to a medical malpractice action, or by any officer, director, member, employee or agent of such party; also establishes a cause of action on behalf of any person injured as the result of such destruction, mutilation or significant alteration; requires disclosure of metadata, audit trail, and log-in information associated with electronic medical records in certain actions.

2021-S163 - Sponsor Memo

2021-S163 - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    163
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. GIANARIS, KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary
 
 AN  ACT to amend the civil practice law and rules, in relation to estab-
   lishing a penalty and cause of action for the intentional destruction,
   mutilation or significant alteration of certain medical records
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section  3126  of  the  civil  practice law and rules, as
 amended by chapter 98 of the  laws  of  1993,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   §  3126.  Penalties  for  refusal to comply with order or to disclose.
 (A) If any party, or a person who at the time a deposition is  taken  or
 an  examination  or  inspection is made is an officer, director, member,
 employee or agent of a party  or  otherwise  under  a  party's  control,
 refuses  to  obey  an order for disclosure or wilfully fails to disclose
 information which the court finds ought to have been disclosed  pursuant
 to this article, the court may make such orders with regard to the fail-
 ure or refusal as are just, among them:
   1. an order that the issues to which the information is relevant shall
 be  deemed  resolved  for  purposes of the action in accordance with the
 claims of the party obtaining the order; or
   2. an order prohibiting  the  disobedient  party  from  supporting  or
 opposing  designated  claims  or  defenses,  from  producing in evidence
 designated things  or  items  of  testimony,  or  from  introducing  any
 evidence  of the physical, mental or blood condition sought to be deter-
 mined, or from using certain witnesses; or
   3. an order striking  out  pleadings  or  parts  thereof,  or  staying
 further  proceedings until the order is obeyed, or dismissing the action
 or any part thereof, or rendering a  judgment  by  default  against  the
 disobedient party.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

co-Sponsors

2021-S163A - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Judiciary
Law Section:
Civil Practice Law and Rules
Laws Affected:
Amd §§3126 & 3101, CPLR
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2009-2010: S6131
2011-2012: S2531
2013-2014: S600
2015-2016: S2474
2017-2018: S3132
2019-2020: S293
2023-2024: S152

2021-S163A - Summary

Establishes a penalty of not less than $1,000 for each intentional destruction, mutilation or significant alteration of a medical record by a party to a medical malpractice action, or by any officer, director, member, employee or agent of such party; also establishes a cause of action on behalf of any person injured as the result of such destruction, mutilation or significant alteration; requires disclosure of metadata, audit trail, and log-in information associated with electronic medical records in certain actions.

2021-S163A - Sponsor Memo

2021-S163A - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  163--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. GIANARIS, KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and  when  printed  to  be  committed to the Committee on Judiciary --
   committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as  amended  and
   recommitted to said committee

 AN  ACT to amend the civil practice law and rules, in relation to estab-
   lishing a penalty and cause of action for the intentional destruction,
   mutilation or significant alteration of certain medical records
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section  3126  of  the  civil  practice law and rules, as
 amended by chapter 98 of the  laws  of  1993,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   §  3126.  Penalties  for  refusal to comply with order or to disclose.
 (A) If any party, or a person who at the time a deposition is  taken  or
 an  examination  or  inspection is made is an officer, director, member,
 employee or agent of a party  or  otherwise  under  a  party's  control,
 refuses  to  obey  an order for disclosure or wilfully fails to disclose
 information which the court finds ought to have been disclosed  pursuant
 to this article, the court may make such orders with regard to the fail-
 ure or refusal as are just, among them:
   1. an order that the issues to which the information is relevant shall
 be  deemed  resolved  for  purposes of the action in accordance with the
 claims of the party obtaining the order; or
   2. an order prohibiting  the  disobedient  party  from  supporting  or
 opposing  designated  claims  or  defenses,  from  producing in evidence
 designated things  or  items  of  testimony,  or  from  introducing  any
 evidence  of the physical, mental or blood condition sought to be deter-
 mined, or from using certain witnesses; or
   3. an order striking  out  pleadings  or  parts  thereof,  or  staying
 further  proceedings until the order is obeyed, or dismissing the action

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

co-Sponsors

2021-S163B (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Judiciary
Law Section:
Civil Practice Law and Rules
Laws Affected:
Amd §§3126 & 3101, CPLR
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2009-2010: S6131
2011-2012: S2531
2013-2014: S600
2015-2016: S2474
2017-2018: S3132
2019-2020: S293
2023-2024: S152

2021-S163B (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes a penalty of not less than $1,000 for each intentional destruction, mutilation or significant alteration of a medical record by a party to a medical malpractice action, or by any officer, director, member, employee or agent of such party; also establishes a cause of action on behalf of any person injured as the result of such destruction, mutilation or significant alteration; requires disclosure of metadata, audit trail, and log-in information associated with electronic medical records in certain actions.

2021-S163B (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S163B (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  163--B
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. GIANARIS, KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and  when  printed  to  be  committed to the Committee on Judiciary --
   committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as  amended  and
   recommitted  to  said committee -- committee discharged, bill amended,
   ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the civil practice law and rules, in relation to  estab-
   lishing a penalty and cause of action for the intentional destruction,
   mutilation  or  significant alteration of certain medical records; and
   requires disclosure of metadata, audit trail, and  log-in  information
   associated with electronic medical records in certain actions
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 3126 of  the  civil  practice  law  and  rules,  as
 amended  by  chapter  98  of  the  laws  of  1993, is amended to read as
 follows:
   § 3126. Penalties for refusal to comply with  order  or  to  disclose.
 (A)  If  any party, or a person who at the time a deposition is taken or
 an examination or inspection is made is an  officer,  director,  member,
 employee  or  agent  of  a  party  or otherwise under a party's control,
 refuses to obey an order for disclosure or wilfully  fails  to  disclose
 information  which the court finds ought to have been disclosed pursuant
 to this article, the court may make such orders with regard to the fail-
 ure or refusal as are just, among them:
   1. an order that the issues to which the information is relevant shall
 be deemed resolved for purposes of the action  in  accordance  with  the
 claims of the party obtaining the order; or
   2.  an  order  prohibiting  the  disobedient  party from supporting or
 opposing designated claims  or  defenses,  from  producing  in  evidence
 designated  things  or  items  of  testimony,  or  from  introducing any

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

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