S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8206--A
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 2, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. HINCHEY, BROOKS, GALLIVAN, OBERACKER, THOMAS -- read
   twice  and  ordered  printed,  and when printed to be committed to the
   Committee on Health -- committee  discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered
   reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing the
   office of hospice and palliative care access and quality

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  public health law is amended by adding a new section
 4003 to read as follows:
   § 4003. DIRECTOR OF HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE ACCESS AND QUALITY. 1.
 THE OFFICE OF HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE ACCESS AND QUALITY  IS  HEREBY
 CREATED WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL APPOINT A DIRECTOR
 OF THE OFFICE AND MAY EMPLOY SUCH ASSISTANTS AND PERSONNEL AS ARE NECES-
 SARY TO CARRY OUT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ARTICLE.
   2. THE OFFICE SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING POWERS AND DUTIES:
   (A)  TO  PROVIDE  EXPERTISE  AND  INPUT ON HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE
 POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND REGULATION;
   (B) TO ENSURE HOSPICE AND  PALLIATIVE  CARE  PROVIDERS,  WORKERS,  AND
 PATIENTS  ARE  CONSIDERED  WHEN  NEW  POLICY  OR  REGULATORY CHANGES ARE
 CONTEMPLATED, DEVELOPED OR IMPLEMENTED;
   (C) TO DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE PATIENT CARE FOR INDIVIDUALS
 WITH CHRONIC OR LIFE-LIMITING ILLNESSES;
   (D) TO FACILITATE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT AND HOSPICE AND
 PALLIATIVE CARE PROVIDERS;
   (E) TO RAISE AWARENESS AND  ACCESS  TO  HOSPICE  AND  PALLIATIVE  CARE
 SERVICES;
   (F) TO IDENTIFY AND ELIMINATE BARRIERS TO SUCH SERVICES;
   (G)  TO  SUPPORT MODELS OF CARE AND SERVICE DELIVERY THAT WOULD ASSIST
 IN INCREASING UTILIZATION OF HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE SERVICES;
   (H) TO WORK TO DEVELOP AND PROMOTE  INNOVATIVE  HEALTH  CARE  DELIVERY
 MODELS FOR HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE SERVICES;
   (I)  TO  ESTABLISH  AND  MONITOR  QUALITY  AND  UTILIZATION METRICS TO
 PROMOTE INCREASED ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY END-OF-LIFE CARE;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14263-03-2
 S. 8206--A                          2
 
   (J) TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY-WIDE EFFORTS TO PROMOTE  ADVANCE  CARE  PLAN-
 NING;
   (K)  TO WORK IN COLLABORATION WITH THE STATE PALLIATIVE CARE EDUCATION
 AND TRAINING COUNCIL, CENTERS FOR PALLIATIVE CARE EXCELLENCE, AND PALLI-
 ATIVE CARE PRACTITIONER RESOURCE CENTERS, TO ASSIST IN PROVIDING  EDUCA-
 TION  ON  HOSPICE  AND  PALLIATIVE  CARE  TO  STATE, REGIONAL, AND LOCAL
 PERSONNEL;
   (L) TO ENSURE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE SERVICES
 BY UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES ACROSS NEW YORK STATE.
   3. THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DIRECTOR APPOINTED PURSU-
 ANT TO THIS SECTION, SHALL PREPARE AND SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE  GOVERNOR,
 THE  TEMPORARY  PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY,
 AND POST SUCH REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE, BY NO LATER  THAN  TWO
 YEARS  FOLLOWING THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS ACT AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER,
 OUTLINING THE ACTIVITIES OF THE  OFFICE  ESTABLISHED  PURSUANT  TO  THIS
 SECTION,  AND  RECOMMENDATIONS ON MATTERS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE DIREC-
 TOR'S DUTIES AS SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition,  amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
 tation  of  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
 completed on or before such effective date.