Bill Text: NY A02850 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Requires hospitals to establish policies and procedures regarding domestic violence; establishes ongoing training programs on domestic violence for all current and new hospital employees; designates a hospital staff member to coordinate services to victims; provides for the interaction of hospitals with community domestic violence service providers in order to coordinate services to victims of domestic violence; requires hospitals to offer to contact a local advocate when admitting or treating a confirmed or suspected victim of domestic violence.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 16-1)

Status: (Passed) 2019-12-23 - approval memo.79 [A02850 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A02850-Amended.html


                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                         2850--A
                                                                 Cal. No. 63
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    January 25, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  LAVINE, OTIS, CRESPO, FAHY, WALKER, BRONSON,
          RICHARDSON, BICHOTTE, M. G. MILLER, GRIFFIN -- read once and  referred
          to  the  Committee on Health -- reported from committee, advanced to a
          third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its  place  on
          the order of third reading
        AN  ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to hospital domestic
          violence policies and procedures
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1.  The  public health law is amended by adding a new section
     2  2805-z to read as follows:
     3    § 2805-z. Hospital domestic  violence  policies  and  procedures.   1.
     4  Every  general  hospital  shall:  (a)  develop, maintain and disseminate
     5  written policies and  procedures  for  the  identification,  assessment,
     6  treatment  and  referral  of  confirmed  or  suspected cases of domestic
     7  violence; (b) establish, and implement on an ongoing basis,  a  training
     8  program  for  all  current  and new employees regarding the policies and
     9  procedures established pursuant to this section; (c) designate  a  staff
    10  member  to  coordinate services to victims of domestic violence; and (d)
    11  contact the domestic violence or victim assistance organization  provid-
    12  ing  victim assistance to the geographic area served by such hospital to
    13  establish the coordination of services to domestic violence victims.
    14    2. Upon admittance or commencement of  treatment  of  a  confirmed  or
    15  suspected  domestic  violence  victim,  such  hospital  shall advise the
    16  victim of the availability of the services of  a  domestic  violence  or
    17  victim  assistance  organization.  If  after  receiving  such advice the
    18  domestic violence victim wishes the presence of a domestic  violence  or
    19  victim  assistance advocate, such hospital shall contact the appropriate
    20  organization and request that one be provided.
    21    3. The commissioner shall promulgate such rules and regulations as may
    22  be necessary and proper to carry out effectively the provisions of  this
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04595-02-9

        A. 2850--A                          2
     1  section.   Prior to promulgating such rules and regulations, the commis-
     2  sioner shall consult with the office  for  the  prevention  of  domestic
     3  violence  and  other such persons as the commissioner deems necessary to
     4  develop  a  model policy for hospitals to utilize in complying with this
     5  section.
     6    § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
     7  ing the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately,
     8  the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rules or regulations neces-
     9  sary  for the implementation of the foregoing section of this act on its
    10  effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such
    11  effective date.
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