Requires each state-operated facility that delivers health care services which is operated and licensed pursuant to the mental hygiene law, the education law, the correction law or section 504 of the executive law and which requires two or more registered nurses or licensed practical nurses to be present within the facility at any given time.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8623A
SPONSOR: Reyes PURPOSE:
To expand the use of nurse staffing committees and the use of quality
indicators to include other government operated health care facilities;
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Amends section 2805-t of the public health law. Section 2:
Establishes the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Chapter 155 of the laws of 2021 established clinical staffing committees
and required the disclosure of nurse quality indicators to improve the
quality of care in hospitals covered by article 28 of the public health
law. This law requires the establishment of a staffing committee to
determine appropriate nurse staffing ratios for patient care.
This legislation expands Chapter 155 of the laws of 2021 to include all
facilities operated by the state that provide health care services
pursuant to the mental health law, the education law, the correction law
or the executive law. Last year, OMH, OPWDD, OCFS and DOCCS staff worked
a combined 14 million hours of overtime. Because these agencies are not
covered by the staffing committee law, health care professionals and
patients are left vulnerable to unilateral management staffing deci-
sions. Many health care professionals at these facilities have raised
concerns about patient care and the lack of input into staffing deci-
sions as management increasingly relies on overtime to meet staffing
needs.
This legislation is needed to recognize the professional recommendations
of licensed health care professionals in the treatment of their patients
and to give health care professionals input into agency staffing plan-
ning.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on January 1, 2026.
