Senator Rachel May Announces Nursing Home Legislation and Community Events

Syracuse, NY - Senator Rachel May (D-Onondaga, Madison, Oneida) has joined fellow New York state legislators in passing key legislation designed to address some immediate concerns relating to nursing home care during the pandemic. The actions were in response to the devastating toll the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on nursing home residents and staff across the state over the last several months.

Among other legislation targeting challenges that have arisen as a result of the pandemic, the Senate and Assembly passed a bill (S.8397A) that prohibits health care employers from retaliating against health care workers who report concerns about workplace safety or health violations. Nursing home workers would be covered by these expanded protections.

A second nursing-home related bill (S.8289B) passed by both the Senate and the Assembly requires that residential health care facilities prepare and comply with an annual pandemic emergency plan. This will help these facilities ensure the safety of their staff and residents during pandemics like COVID-19.

Both bills await Governor Cuomo’s signature.

“These bills provide support for nursing home residents and staff, who along with hospital workers really have been on the front lines of this pandemic,” says Senator May, who chairs the Senate Committee on Aging. “They are an important start. But we have a lot more to do to better protect those who live or work in our nursing homes for future such crises. While the Committee on Aging does not have direct oversight of nursing homes, we certainly play an important role in promoting the well-being of all seniors. And I am committed to working together with my legislative colleagues to do all we can to ensure our most vulnerable seniors never face this level of risk again.”

Senator May also joined her colleague Senator Andrew Gounardes in introducing a bill to strengthen protections in nursing homes during public health emergencies (S.8270A). Among other measures, this legislation would require nursing homes to maintain adequate supplies of personal protective equipment, such as masks and gowns, during pandemics. It also calls for expanded and consistent communication between nursing homes and families as well as with residents. It would require nursing homes to inform families of alternative-care options and to facilitate transfers, with support from the Department of Health, if desired. 

The proposed legislation would apply specifically during state disaster emergencies relating to a disease outbreak.

In addition to the legislative activity, Senator May joined in several nursing-home focused virtual events in the past week, including a statewide Elder Law Forum focusing on pandemic-related issues affecting older New Yorkers; and a virtual roundtable, organized by the senior advocacy group StateWide Senior Action Council. Both events focused on immediate issues and potential next steps, legislatively and otherwise, to better safeguard the needs and interests of seniors, particularly nursing home residents, in times of crisis.
 

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