Bill Text: NY A06004 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Authorizes the commissioner of corrections and community supervision, in consultation with the commissioner of health, to develop and implement programs in every correctional facility to prevent the spread of hepatitis C, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV among correctional employees and incarcerated persons.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 29-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-03 - referred to correction [A06004 Detail]
Download: New_York-2017-A06004-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6004 2017-2018 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY February 21, 2017 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. GOTTFRIED, AUBRY, PAULIN, PEOPLES-STOKES, JAFFEE, COLTON, ROSENTHAL, HEVESI, BRONSON, WALKER, ABINANTI, SEPULVEDA, D'URSO -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ARROYO, CAHILL, CARROLL, COOK, CYMBROWITZ, DINOWITZ, GALEF, GANTT, GLICK, HOOPER, LIFTON, McDO- NALD, ORTIZ, PERRY, RIVERA, ROZIC -- read once and referred to the Committee on Correction AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to authorizing the commissioner of corrections and community supervision to develop programs in correctional facilities to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The correction law is amended by adding a new section 141-a 2 to read as follows: 3 § 141-a. Sexually transmitted diseases and HIV; prevention. 1. The 4 commissioner, together with the commissioner of health, shall develop 5 and implement programs in every correctional facility to prevent the 6 spread of hepatitis C, sexually transmitted diseases and human immunode- 7 ficiency virus infection, for department employees and incarcerated 8 individuals, including education, group and individual counseling, 9 outreach to the incarcerated population, harm reduction, discharge plan- 10 ning, offering testing, and availability of prophylactic devices. The 11 program may provide for training incarcerated persons to work as peer 12 educators in the program. 13 2. These programs shall be offered in such manner and at such time as 14 to encourage attendance by all department employees and incarcerated 15 persons. Programming as required by subdivision one of this section 16 shall include incorporation into other content-neutral programs to 17 ensure that attendance is not stigmatized or stigmatizing. 18 3. In developing programs for the prevention of hepatitis C, sexually 19 transmitted diseases and human immunodeficiency virus infection, the EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD02691-02-7A. 6004 2 1 commissioner shall consult with the commissioner of health to identify 2 and select curricula that are likely to be effective in reducing trans- 3 mission of infectious diseases within correctional facilities and to 4 contacts of formerly incarcerated persons upon their release. 5 4. The programs required by subdivision one of this section should 6 include peer education and use of non-department personnel including 7 community providers, and shall be in the language of the targeted popu- 8 lation, shall take into account the literacy level of the targeted popu- 9 lation, and shall be culturally sensitive to the social and cultural 10 needs of the targeted population. 11 5. In order to develop a cohort of skilled trainers, the commissioner, 12 together with the commissioner of health, shall develop and implement a 13 peer educator training program. Completion of a peer educator training 14 program under this section shall permit a participant to receive a peer 15 education certification. 16 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.