2018 NYS Legislature Healthcare Related Bills

Nurses can exert considerable influence in the healthcare policy arena by contacting their elected legislators about proposed legislation affecting the industry. 

To contact your representative:

• To find out who represents you in the NYS Assembly, go to: assembly.state.ny.us/mem/
• To find out who represents you in the NYS Senate, go to:  nysenate.gov/senators/

To search for a bill:

• For Assembly bills, go to:  http://nyassembly.gov/leg/
• For Senate bills, go to:  https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation

Here are the 2018 healthcare related bills currently being considered in the New York State Assembly and/or New York State Senate:

Safe Staffing Ratios - A1532 (Gunther)/S3330 (Hannon)

Would set nurse to patient ratios in ALL healthcare facilities

Differs from ANA model language with staffing variables, but no “legislated”  ratios

Safe Staffing for Quality Care Demonstration - S7425 (Funke)

Would establish 3 demonstration projects in Empire State Development zones -  2 upstate & 1 downstate; 3 year acute care setting demonstration

Multistate Compact - S7579 (Hannon)

Would enact the interstate medical licensure compact and the nurse licensure compact; enacts compacts related to establishing a streamlined process that allows physicians and nurses to become licensed in multiple member states.

Pharm CME - S650(Kennedy)

Would establish continuing medical education requirements for doctors, nurses and pharmacists; requires three hours of training on the prevention, treatment and mitigation of opiate analgesics and psychotropic drug addiction.

Mandatory Continuing Education - A4060 (Paulin)/ S222A (LaValle)

Would require 45 hours of continuing nursing education in order to re-register every three years, to practice as a registered professional nurse.

Preceptor Tax Credit - A6820 (Gunther)/S4611 (Murphy)

 Would establish a clinical preceptorship personal income tax credit for certain health care professionals who provide preceptor instruction to students studying to be a health care professional.

Community Paramedicine Services - A2733A (Gottfried)/S5588 (Hannon)

Would authorize the practice of community paramedicine, defined as the practice by emergency medical technicians (including advanced EMTs) of evaluating, preventing, or improving health conditions of patients, within the EMT or advanced EMT's scope of practice, education, and training, in circumstances other than the initial emergency medical care and transport.  In Governor Cuomo’s 2018 budget bill.