NY State Senate Bill 2025-S1578

Current 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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 10, 2025	referred to health

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2025-S1578 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Health
Law Section:: Public Health Law
Laws Affected:: Add §2807-bb, amd §3331, Pub Health L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S5604
2023-2024: S1890

2025-S1578 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes the "Syd O. Sotillo Sickle Cell Treatment Act" which designates sickle cell centers for excellence and outpatient treatment centers.

2025-S1578 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S1578

SPONSOR: SANDERS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing the
"Syd O. Sotillo Sickle Cell Treatment Act"

 
PURPOSE:

Establishes the Sickle Cell Treatment Act

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill would set forth that this act shall be known and
may be cited as the "Syd 0. Sotillo Sickle Cell Treatment Act".

Section 2 amends the public health law by adding a new section 2807-aa
which mandates the Commissioner of the Department of Health to designate
Sickle cell centers for excellence and outpatient treatment centers.

Section 3 amends subdivision 8 of section 3331 of the public health law,

as added by section 7-a of part D of chapter 57 of the laws of 2018
relating to opioid exemption.

Section 4 provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Sickle Cell patients experience a multitude of symptoms that can range
from mild to severe. There is little to no awareness of possible ways to
manage these symptoms, which is why centers for excellence (COE), and
outpatient treatment centers are essential.

The Centers of Excellence would serve as a hub for adults and children
alike to have access to professionals that can understand, monitor, and
provide care in the most effective way possible. The COEs would further
serve as leaders to other institutions in the treatment of SCD and would
establish the best practices that could then be used in other healthcare
facilities around the state.

Outpatient hospitals would help reduce the need of sickle cell patients
to check into the emergency room for pain, which is the traditional
response of people who are suffering an SCD pain crisis.  Patients would
have access to readily available services that are designated to help
specifically with SCD pain management and symptoms because outpatient
services would be available in areas where there is sufficient need for
the service. The reduced burden on emergency rooms, especially in times
of health crisis, can help patients and doctors alike.

Pain is a major symptom of Sickle Cell disease (SCD) and one of the
principal reasons that people with SCD go to the emergency room... Pain
experienced by sickle cell patients manifests itself as abrupt and very
debilitating pain in any part of the body. Individuals diagnosed with
sickle cell can begin having pain crises as early as 6 months of age.
This legislation will allow certain sickle cell patients to easily gain
access to opioid therapy. Currently, sickle cell patients are restricted
in being treated with opioids. However, due to the debilitating pain

sickle cell disease patients encounter during crisis, opioid therapy
serves to reduce the pain that patients experience.

Syd Sotillo, 30, of Brooklyn, New York passed away on April 20, 2012, as
a result of medical issues including sickle cell anemia. This bill is
named in memory of him.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2022 REPORTED FROM HEALTH AND COMMITTED TO SENATE FINANCE

2022 referred to assembly ways and means

2021 REFERRED TO SENATE HEALTH

2021 reported from health referred to assembly ways and means

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S1578 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1578
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 10, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. SANDERS, ASHBY, CLEARE, COMRIE, FERNANDEZ, GIANARIS,
   JACKSON,  KRUEGER, MAY, MAYER, MYRIE, PARKER, RAMOS, ROLISON, SEPULVE-
   DA, WEBB -- read twice and ordered printed, and  when  printed  to  be
   committed to the Committee on Health
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing the
   "Syd O. Sotillo Sickle Cell Treatment Act"
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 the "Syd O. Sotillo Sickle Cell Treatment Act".
   § 2. The public health law is amended by adding a new section  2807-bb
 to read as follows:
   § 2807-BB. SICKLE CELL CENTERS FOR EXCELLENCE AND OUTPATIENT TREATMENT
 CENTERS.  1.  CENTERS  FOR SICKLE CELL CARE EXCELLENCE. THE COMMISSIONER
 SHALL DESIGNATE FIVE GENERAL HOSPITALS OR HOSPICES UNDER  ARTICLE  FORTY
 OF THIS CHAPTER, UPON SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION, AS CENTERS FOR SICKLE CELL
 CARE  EXCELLENCE.  THE DESIGNATIONS SHALL BE MADE THROUGH AN APPLICATION
 DESIGNED BY THE DEPARTMENT, AND BASED ON  SERVICE,  STAFFING  AND  OTHER
 CRITERIA  AS  DEVELOPED  BY  THE COMMISSIONER. THE CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE
 SHALL PROVIDE SPECIALIZED SICKLE CELL DISEASE CARE,  TREATMENT,  PALLIA-
 TIVE  CARE, EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVICES AND SHALL CONDUCT SPECIALIZED
 RESEARCH INTO THE CARE, TREATMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF SICKLE CELL DISEASE.
 DESIGNATION AS A CENTER FOR SICKLE CELL CARE EXCELLENCE SHALL NOT  ENTI-
 TLE  A CENTER TO ENHANCED REIMBURSEMENT, BUT MAY BE UTILIZED IN OUTREACH
 AND OTHER PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES.  EACH  CENTER  FOR  SICKLE  CELL  CARE
 EXCELLENCE  SHALL  AFFILIATE  AND COOPERATE WITH MAJOR CENTERS OF HIGHER
 LEARNING, INCLUDING MEDICAL COLLEGES, AND LIFE SCIENCE  RESEARCH  INSTI-
 TUTES  IN  THE STATE.  THE STATE UNIVERSITY SHALL ENTER INTO APPROPRIATE
 LEGAL AGREEMENTS TO ENABLE THIS COOPERATION. EACH CENTER FOR SICKLE CELL
 CARE EXCELLENCE SHALL RECEIVE FOUR HUNDRED  THOUSAND  DOLLARS  PER  YEAR
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01146-02-5
 S. 1578                             2

 
 FROM  THE  DEPARTMENT, FROM AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED FOR THAT PURPOSE, TO BE
 USED ON SICKLE CELL DISEASE RESEARCH.
   2.  OUTPATIENT TREATMENT CENTERS. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL DESIGNATE TEN
 HOSPITALS, DISTRIBUTED BASED ON SICKLE CELL PATIENT  POPULATION  CONCEN-
 TRATIONS,  AS  SICKLE  CELL  OUTPATIENT  TREATMENT  CENTERS  WHICH SHALL
 PROVIDE PATIENTS TREATMENT FOR SICKLE CELL  DISEASE  AS  AN  OUTPATIENT.
 EACH  SICKLE  CELL OUTPATIENT TREATMENT CENTER SHALL RECEIVE TWO HUNDRED
 THOUSAND DOLLARS PER YEAR FROM THE DEPARTMENT, FROM AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED
 FOR THAT PURPOSE, TO BE USED TO ENSURE THE PROPER MANAGEMENT AND  EQUIP-
 PING OF THE CENTERS TO CARE FOR SICKLE CELL PATIENTS.
   §  3. Subdivision 8 of section 3331 of the public health law, as added
 by section 7-a of part D of chapter 57 of the laws of 2018,  is  amended
 to read as follows:
   8.  No  opioids  shall  be prescribed to a patient initiating or being
 maintained on opioid treatment for pain which has lasted more than three
 months or past the time of normal tissue  healing,  unless  the  medical
 record contains a written treatment plan that follows generally accepted
 national  professional  or  governmental guidelines. The requirements of
 this paragraph shall not apply in the case of  patients  who  are  being
 treated  for cancer OR SICKLE CELL DISEASE that is not in remission, who
 are in hospice or other end-of-life care, or whose pain is being treated
 as part of palliative care practices.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S1578

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Health Committee

co-Sponsors

2025-S1578 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S1578 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S1578 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S1578 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S1578

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Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Health Committee

co-Sponsors

2025-S1578 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S1578 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S1578 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S1578 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments