Assembly Bill A4039

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Requires pharmacies to provide prescription drug readers

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Assembly 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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2025-A4039 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S1740
Current Committee:
Assembly Higher Education
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Add §6810-a, Ed L

2025-A4039 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires pharmacies to provide prescription drug readers or other means of access to individuals who disclose they have difficulty seeing or reading standard print labels on prescription drug containers; defines "prescription drug reader" to mean a device which is capable of audibly conveying information contained on the label of a prescription drug; makes exceptions.

2025-A4039 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4039
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 30, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. McDONALD -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Higher Education
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  education law, in relation to prescription drug
   label accessibility
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 6810-a
 to read as follows:
   §  6810-A.  PRESCRIPTION  DRUG  LABEL ACCESSIBILITY. 1. ALL PHARMACIES
 WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THOSE CITED IN SUBDIVISION THREE OF  THIS  SECTION
 SHALL  PROVIDE  PRESCRIPTION  DRUG  READERS  OR OTHER MEANS OF ACCESS TO
 INDIVIDUALS WHO DISCLOSE THEY HAVE DIFFICULTY SEEING OR READING STANDARD
 PRINT LABELS ON PRESCRIPTION DRUG CONTAINERS. FOR THE PURPOSES  OF  THIS
 SECTION, "PRESCRIPTION DRUG READER" SHALL MEAN A DEVICE WHICH IS CAPABLE
 OF   AUDIBLY   CONVEYING   INFORMATION  CONTAINED  ON  THE  LABEL  OF  A
 PRESCRIPTION DRUG.
   2. THIS SECTION SHALL REQUIRE PHARMACIES TO:
   (A) ENSURE THE PRESCRIPTION DRUG READER IS DISPENSED FOR AT LEAST  THE
 DURATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL'S PRESCRIPTION;
   (B) ENSURE THE PRESCRIPTION DRUG READER COMES AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO
 THE INDIVIDUAL;
   (C)  MAKE  SUSTAINED,  PERIODIC  AND  REASONABLE EFFORTS TO INFORM THE
 GENERAL PUBLIC THAT PRESCRIPTION DRUG LABEL INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE  IN
 ALTERNATIVE ACCESSIBLE FORMATS;
   (D) MAKE SUSTAINED, PERIODIC AND REASONABLE EFFORTS TO INFORM INDIVID-
 UALS   WITH   PRIOR   RECORDS  OF  LOW  VISIBILITY  AND  BLINDNESS  THAT
 PRESCRIPTION DRUG READERS OR OTHER MEANS  OF  ACCESS  ARE  AVAILABLE  IN
 ALTERNATIVE ACCESSIBLE FORMATS; AND
   (E)  CONSULT  BEST  PRACTICE  STANDARDS ESTABLISHED BY THE U.S. ACCESS
 BOARD.
   3. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY TO:

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05311-01-5

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