NY State Senate Bill 2021-S9532

Senate Bill S9532

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Relates to requiring telephones capable of making local and long-distance telephone calls be in every nursing home patient's room

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules 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
Aug 17, 2022	referred to rules

2021-S9532 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Rules
Law Section:: Public Health Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §2803-c, Pub Health L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S4242

2021-S9532 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to requiring telephones capable of making local and long-distance telephone calls be in every nursing home patient's room, either at such patient's bedside or in the patient's room depending on the patient's mobility.

2021-S9532 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S9532

SPONSOR: WEIK
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring tele-
phones capable of making local and long-distance telephone calls be in
every nursing home patient's room

 
PURPOSE:

To require telephones capable of making local and long-distance tele-
phone calls be in every nursing home patient's room depending on their
mobility

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 2803-c of the Public Health Law is
amended by adding a new paragraph s.

Section 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day
after it shall have become a law.

 
EXISTING LAW:

None

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Suffolk Independent Living Organization (SILO) is a non-profit organiza-
tion established in 1982 that has been at the forefront of protecting
the rights of people with disabilities. Recently, SILO reported
complaints on behalf of its nursing home clients who experienced signif-
icant problems obtaining adequate access to telephone equipment/services
to call their loved ones. Many of these clients are immobile and/or
blind, making it extremely difficult for them to use communal phone
stations located in remote areas of a nursing home. In addition, these
communal phone stations present an ongoing health risk to nursing home
residents during the COVID-19 crisis.

A formal request was submitted to the Department of Health (DOH) asking
that existing regulations be amended to grant such patients with the
right to a bedside (or in-room) telephone that is capable of making
local and long-distance calls. However, the Department's response indi-
cated that current law does not allow DOH to amend existing regulations
to require such access.

This legislation is necessary to close the gap in current state law and
to grant DOH the necessary authority for amending existing regulations
that govern the rights of all nursing home patients in New York State.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined

 
LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment
and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation
of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
completed on or before such effective date.

2021-S9532 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9532
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              August 17, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  WEIK  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation  to  requiring  tele-
   phones capable of making local and long-distance telephone calls be in
   every nursing home patient's room
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 2803-c of the public health law is
 amended by adding a new paragraph s to read as follows:
   S. SUBJECT TO  REGULATIONS  PROMULGATED  BY  THE  COMMISSIONER,  EVERY
 PATIENT  SHALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO A TELEPHONE CAPABLE OF MAKING LOCAL AND
 LONG-DISTANCE TELEPHONE CALLS AT  SUCH  PATIENT'S  BEDSIDE  OR  IN  SUCH
 PATIENT'S ROOM DEPENDING UPON THE MOBILITY OF THE PATIENT.
   § 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.
 
 
 
 
 

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD16176-01-2

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