§ 236-b. Rural health council. 1. There shall be established within
the office a rural health council to be composed of twenty-one members
who shall be appointed by the governor, with ten of these members
appointed as follows:

a. four members upon the recommendation of the temporary president of
the senate;

b. one member upon the recommendation of the minority leader of the
senate;

c. four members upon the recommendation of the speaker of the
assembly; and

d. one member upon the recommendation of the minority leader of the
assembly.

Vacancies in the membership of such council shall be filled by the
appropriate appointing authority. The governor shall select a
chairperson from among the members of the council. The members of the
council shall be reflective of the state's rural areas, as defined in
subdivision seven of section four hundred eighty-one of the executive
law, and shall include representatives of health care providers that
comprise the health care delivery system in the state's rural areas,
individuals with expertise in clinical and administrative aspects of
health care delivery, health care financing and reimbursement, health
care regulation, public health, health planning, health workforce
education, and behavioral health.

2. The rural health council shall be responsible for advising the
commissioner with respect to all aspects of rural health care and rural
health care delivery including, but not limited to, the impact of
proposed programs, statutes, regulations and health care reimbursement
policies. The rural health council shall also assist the office with its
responsibilities as delineated in section two hundred thirty-six of this
title; contribute to the biennial report required pursuant to section
two hundred thirty-seven of this title, and act as liaison and advocate
on rural health matters.

3. The rural health council shall recommend to the department
cost-effective ways to obtain timely data on the status of the health
care workforce supply in rural areas. At least once every three years
the rural health council shall, in conjunction with the office, submit a
report to the regional economic development councils on the status of
the health care workforce supply in their respective regions to the
extent data on the health care workforce supply is available.

4. Staff support for the rural health council shall be provided for by
the office as provided for in section two hundred thirty-six of this
title.

5. The rural health council shall meet as frequently as its business
may require, but not less than two times a year. Meetings may be called
by the chairperson at the request of the commissioner.

6. The entirety of each meeting of the rural health council shall be
live webcast to the public on the department's website, and archived on
the department's website, for a period of no less than two years, within
twenty-four hours of the adjournment of the last meeting. The department
shall provide notice to the public, via the department's website, of the
availability of the live webcast of each such meeting.

7. The members of the rural health council shall receive no
compensation for their services, but shall be allowed their actual and
necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties
hereunder.