Bill Text: NY S02704 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Authorizes the commissioners of the department of health, the office of mental health, and the office of addiction services and support to jointly establish a single set of licensing standards and requirements for the construction, operation, reporting and surveillance of comprehensive outpatient services centers.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO HEALTH [S02704 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S02704-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          2704

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    January 24, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by Sen. HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Health

        AN ACT to amend the social services law, the public health law  and  the
          mental  hygiene  law,  in relation to setting comprehensive outpatient
          services

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "comprehen-
     2  sive outpatient services act of 2023".
     3    §  2.  Section 364-m of the social services law is amended by adding a
     4  new subdivision 6 to read as follows:
     5    6. Comprehensive outpatient services centers. (a)  Definitions.    For
     6  the  purpose of this article, unless the context clearly requires other-
     7  wise:
     8    (i) "Mental health services"  means  services  for  the  treatment  of
     9  mental illness.
    10    (ii)   "Addiction  services"  means  services  for  the  treatment  of
    11  addiction disorders.
    12    (iii) "Comprehensive outpatient services" means the systematic coordi-
    13  nation of evidence-based health care services, to include the  preventa-
    14  tive,  diagnostic,  therapeutic and rehabilitative care and treatment of
    15  mental illness, addiction and the provision of physical health services,
    16  otherwise provided by a  diagnostic  and  treatment  center  or  general
    17  hospital  outpatient  program  pursuant  to  article twenty-eight of the
    18  public health law, a mental health clinic licensed pursuant  to  article
    19  thirty-one of the mental hygiene law, or an addiction provider certified
    20  pursuant  to article thirty-two of the mental hygiene law to an individ-
    21  ual seeking services regardless of their  primary  diagnosis  or  health
    22  complaint;  provided,  however,  that  the scope of such services may be
    23  restricted pursuant to regulation.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07092-01-3

        S. 2704                             2

     1    (iv) "Comprehensive outpatient  services  centers"  means  a  facility
     2  approved in accordance with this section to provide comprehensive outpa-
     3  tient  services  in  order to promote health and better outcomes for the
     4  recipient, particularly for populations at risk.
     5    (v)  "Medical  director"  is  a  physician  who is responsible for the
     6  services delivered by the comprehensive  outpatient  services  provider,
     7  for the overall direction of the services provided and the direct super-
     8  vision of medical staff in the delivery of services.
     9    (vi)  "Physical  health  services" means services provided by a physi-
    10  cian, physician's assistant, nurse practitioner, or midwife acting with-
    11  in his or her lawful scope of practice under title eight of  the  educa-
    12  tion law and who is practicing in a primary care specialty.
    13    (b)  Notwithstanding any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, the
    14  commissioners of the department of health, the office of mental  health,
    15  and  the  office  of  addiction  services and supports are authorized to
    16  jointly establish a single set of licensing standards  and  requirements
    17  for  the  construction, operation, reporting and surveillance of compre-
    18  hensive outpatient services centers.  Such  standards  and  requirements
    19  shall include, but not be limited to:
    20    (i) scope of comprehensive outpatient services;
    21    (ii)  creation  of an efficient application review process for compre-
    22  hensive outpatient services centers;
    23    (iii) facilitation of integrated treatment records  that  comply  with
    24  applicable federal and state confidentiality requirements;
    25    (iv) optimal use of clinical resources, including the development of a
    26  workforce  capable  of  providing  comprehensive  care  to an individual
    27  utilizing evidence-based approaches to integrated treatment;
    28    (v) development of billing and reimbursement structures to enable  the
    29  provision  of  comprehensive services to individuals regardless of their
    30  primary diagnosis or healthcare complaint;
    31    (vi) reasonable physical plant standards to  foster  proper  care  and
    32  treatment;
    33    (vii)  standards  for  incident  reporting and remediation pursuant to
    34  article eleven of the social services law; and
    35    (viii) standards for adverse event reporting,  provided  however  that
    36  any  such adverse event reports shall be kept confidential and shall not
    37  be subject to disclosure under article six of the public officers law or
    38  article thirty-one of the civil practice law and rules.
    39    (c) A provider shall not be authorized to provide comprehensive outpa-
    40  tient services unless they have  sufficiently  demonstrated,  consistent
    41  with the standards and requirements set forth by the commissioners:
    42    (i)  experience  in  the  delivery  of  physical,  mental  health, and
    43  addiction services;
    44    (ii) capacity to  offer  comprehensive  outpatient  services  in  each
    45  comprehensive outpatient services center approved by each of the commis-
    46  sioners  of  the  department of health, the office of mental health, and
    47  the office of addiction services and supports; and
    48    (iii) compliance with standards established pursuant to  this  section
    49  for   providing  and  receiving  payment  for  comprehensive  outpatient
    50  services.
    51    (d) Notwithstanding any provision of law  to  the  contrary,  for  the
    52  purposes of this subdivision, comprehensive outpatient service providers
    53  shall  be considered contracted, approved or otherwise authorized by the
    54  office of addiction services and  supports  and  the  office  of  mental
    55  health  for  the  purpose  of  sections 19.20, 19.20-a, and 31.35 of the
    56  mental hygiene law, as may be applicable. Providers shall be required to

        S. 2704                             3

     1  comply with the review of criminal history information, as  required  in
     2  such  sections,  for  prospective  employees or volunteers who will have
     3  regular and substantial unsupervised or  unrestricted  physical  contact
     4  with the clients of such provider.
     5    (e)  The  commissioners  of  the  department  of health, the office of
     6  mental health, and the office of addiction  services  and  supports  are
     7  authorized to promulgate any regulatory requirements necessary to imple-
     8  ment  comprehensive  outpatient  services  centers  consistent with this
     9  section, including amending existing requirements.
    10    § 3. Subdivision 4 of section  488  of  the  social  services  law  is
    11  amended by adding a new paragraph (a-1) to read as follows:
    12    (a-1) a comprehensive outpatient services center which is licensed, or
    13  certified  by  section  three  hundred  sixty-four-m  of  this  chapter,
    14  provided however that such term shall not include the provision of phys-
    15  ical health services rendered in such facility or program;
    16    § 4. Subdivision 1 of section  2801  of  the  public  health  law,  as
    17  amended  by  section  1  of part Z of chapter 57 of the laws of 2019, is
    18  amended to read as follows:
    19    1. "Hospital" means a facility or institution engaged  principally  in
    20  providing services by or under the supervision of a physician or, in the
    21  case  of  a dental clinic or dental dispensary, of a dentist, or, in the
    22  case of a midwifery birth center, of  a  midwife,  for  the  prevention,
    23  diagnosis  or  treatment  of  human  disease, pain, injury, deformity or
    24  physical condition, including, but not limited to, a  general  hospital,
    25  public  health center, diagnostic center, treatment center, dental clin-
    26  ic, dental dispensary, rehabilitation center other than a facility  used
    27  solely  for vocational rehabilitation, nursing home, tuberculosis hospi-
    28  tal, chronic  disease  hospital,  maternity  hospital,  midwifery  birth
    29  center,  lying-in-asylum,  out-patient  department,  out-patient  lodge,
    30  dispensary and a laboratory or central service facility serving  one  or
    31  more  such  institutions,  but  the  term  hospital shall not include an
    32  institution, sanitarium or other facility engaged principally in provid-
    33  ing services for the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of mental  disa-
    34  bility  and  which  is subject to the powers of visitation, examination,
    35  inspection and investigation of the department of mental hygiene  except
    36  for  those  distinct  parts  of  such  a facility which provide hospital
    37  service. The provisions of this article shall not apply to a facility or
    38  institution engaged principally in providing services by  or  under  the
    39  supervision of the bona fide members and adherents of a recognized reli-
    40  gious  organization  whose teachings include reliance on spiritual means
    41  through prayer alone for healing in the practice of the religion of such
    42  organization and where services are provided in  accordance  with  those
    43  teachings.  No  provision  of this article or any other provision of law
    44  shall be construed to: (a) limit the volume  of  primary  care  services
    45  that  can  be  provided by comprehensive outpatient services centers, as
    46  defined in section three hundred sixty-four-m  of  the  social  services
    47  law;  (b)  limit  the  volume  of  mental health, substance use disorder
    48  services or developmental disability services that can be provided by  a
    49  provider  of  primary  care  services  licensed  under  this article and
    50  authorized to provide integrated services in accordance with regulations
    51  issued by the commissioner in consultation with the commissioner of  the
    52  office  of  mental health, the commissioner of the office of [alcoholism
    53  and substance abuse services] addiction services and  supports  and  the
    54  commissioner  of  the office for people with developmental disabilities,
    55  including regulations issued pursuant to subdivision  seven  of  section
    56  three hundred sixty-five-l of the social services law or part L of chap-

        S. 2704                             4

     1  ter  fifty-six  of  the laws of two thousand twelve; [(b)] (c) require a
     2  provider licensed pursuant to article thirty-one of the  mental  hygiene
     3  law  or  certified  pursuant to article sixteen or article thirty-two of
     4  the  mental  hygiene  law  to  obtain  an operating certificate from the
     5  department if such provider has been authorized  to  provide  integrated
     6  services  in  accordance  with regulations issued by the commissioner in
     7  consultation with the commissioner of the office of mental  health,  the
     8  commissioner  of the office of [alcoholism and substance abuse services]
     9  addiction services and supports and the commissioner of the  office  for
    10  people  with  developmental  disabilities,  including regulations issued
    11  pursuant to subdivision seven of section three hundred  sixty-five-l  of
    12  the  social  services  law or part L of chapter fifty-six of the laws of
    13  two thousand twelve.
    14    § 5. Subdivision (f) of section 31.02 of the mental  hygiene  law,  as
    15  amended  by  section  2  of part Z of chapter 57 of the laws of 2019, is
    16  amended to read as follows:
    17    (f) No provision of this article or any other provision of  law  shall
    18  be  construed to require a provider licensed pursuant to article twenty-
    19  eight of the public health law or certified pursuant to article  sixteen
    20  or article thirty-two of this chapter to obtain an operating certificate
    21  from the office of mental health if such provider has been authorized to
    22  provide integrated services in accordance with regulations issued by the
    23  commissioner  of  the  office  of mental health in consultation with the
    24  commissioner of the department of health, the commissioner of the office
    25  of [alcoholism and substance  abuse  services]  addiction  services  and
    26  supports  and  the  commissioner  of the office for people with develop-
    27  mental disabilities, including regulations issued pursuant  to  subdivi-
    28  sion  seven of section three hundred sixty-five-l of the social services
    29  law or part L of chapter fifty-six of the laws of two  thousand  twelve.
    30  Furthermore,  except  as provided in paragraph (d) of subdivision six of
    31  section three hundred  sixty-four-m  of  the  social  services  law,  no
    32  provision  of  this  article  or  any  other  provision  of law shall be
    33  construed to limit the volume of mental  health  services  that  can  be
    34  provided  by  comprehensive  outpatient  services centers, as defined in
    35  section three hundred sixty-four-m of the social services law.
    36    § 6. Subdivision (b) of section 32.05 of the mental  hygiene  law,  as
    37  amended  by  section  3  of part Z of chapter 57 of the laws of 2019, is
    38  amended to read as follows:
    39    (b) (i) Methadone, or such other controlled  substance  designated  by
    40  the  commissioner of health as appropriate for such use, may be adminis-
    41  tered to an addict, as defined in section thirty-three  hundred  two  of
    42  the  public  health  law, by individual physicians, groups of physicians
    43  and public or private medical facilities certified pursuant  to  article
    44  twenty-eight or thirty-three of the public health law as part of a chem-
    45  ical  dependence  program which has been issued an operating certificate
    46  by the commissioner pursuant to subdivision (b) of section 32.09 of this
    47  article, provided, however, that such administration  must  be  done  in
    48  accordance  with  all applicable federal and state laws and regulations.
    49  Individual physicians or groups of physicians who have obtained authori-
    50  zation from  the  federal  government  to  administer  buprenorphine  to
    51  addicts  may  do  so without obtaining an operating certificate from the
    52  commissioner. (ii) No provision of this article or any  other  provision
    53  of  law  shall  be  construed to require a provider licensed pursuant to
    54  article twenty-eight of the public health  law,  article  thirty-one  of
    55  this [chapter] title or a provider certified pursuant to article sixteen
    56  of  this  chapter  to obtain an operating certificate from the office of

        S. 2704                             5

     1  [alcoholism  and  substance  abuse  services]  addiction  services   and
     2  supports  if  such  provider  has  been authorized to provide integrated
     3  services in accordance with regulations issued by  the  commissioner  of
     4  [alcoholism   and  substance  abuse  services]  addiction  services  and
     5  supports in consultation with the  commissioner  of  the  department  of
     6  health,  the commissioner of the office of mental health and the commis-
     7  sioner of the office for people with developmental disabilities, includ-
     8  ing regulations issued pursuant to subdivision seven  of  section  three
     9  hundred  sixty-five-l  of  the  social services law or part L of chapter
    10  fifty-six of the laws of two thousand twelve.   Furthermore,  except  as
    11  provided  in  paragraph  (d) of subdivision six of section three hundred
    12  sixty-four-m of the social services law, no provision of this article or
    13  any other provision of law shall be construed to  limit  the  volume  of
    14  addiction  services  that  can  be  provided by comprehensive outpatient
    15  services centers, as defined in section three  hundred  sixty-four-m  of
    16  the social services law.
    17    §  7.  This  act shall take effect January 1, 2024; provided, however,
    18  that the amendments to section 364-m of the social services law made  by
    19  section  two of this act shall not affect the repeal of such section and
    20  shall be deemed to repeal therewith. Effective immediately, the  commis-
    21  sioner  of  the  department of health, the commissioner of the office of
    22  mental health and the commissioner of the office of  addiction  services
    23  and  supports  are  authorized to issue any rule or regulation necessary
    24  for the implementation of this act on or before its effective date.
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