Bill Text: NY A06004 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

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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

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                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.
                                                                   LBD02691-02-7
        A. 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.