Enacts the "healthcare rule-making reform act"

14 Co-sponsors

• Richard Gottfried
• Sandy Galef
• Ellen C. Jaffee
• Ginny Fields
• Amy Paulin
• Aileen Gunther
• Mike Spano
• Vivian Cook
• Matthew Titone
• Robert Reilly
• Catherine Nolan
• Margaret Markey
• Nelson Castro
• Grace Meng

10 Multi-sponsors

• Barbara Clark
• Francine DelMonte
• RoAnn Destito
• Dov Hikind
• David Koon
• Donna Lupardo
• John McEneny
• Michael G. Miller
• Audrey Pheffer
• Harvey Weisenberg

BILL NUMBER:A9822

Title of bill

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to reconstituting the state hospital review and planning council as the state health systems council, providing for the composition and certain duties thereof and for the expiration of terms of state hospital review and planning council members

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:; This bill restructures the membership of the State Hospital Review and Planning Council to include greater representation for healthcare consumers and healthcare professionals.

Summary of specific provisions

Section 1 titles the bill as the "Healthcare rule-making reform act."

Section 2 amends the section heading and subdivision (a) of section 2904 of the public health law to indicate that the State Hospital Review and Planning Council is renamed the "state health systems council"; estab- lishes that the council be comprised of thirty-nine members, thirty-one to be appointed by the governor upon advise and consent of the senate and eight members appointed by the governor upon recommendation of legislative officials, including (A) no less than seven members who represent healthcare providers, (B) no less than seven members who represent purchasers and payers of healthcare services, including busi- ness, government organizations, labor and other institutions, (C) no less than seven members who represent labor organizations that represent healthcare employees, and(D) no less than ten members from organizations with a statewide constituency that represent healthcare consumers; allows the general public to comment on matters before the council, including giving oral comment; and requires the council to adopt bylaws? a code of ethics and conflicts of interest policies which shall preclude a member from voting on a matter in which they have any direct interest.

Section 3 provides for modifying the terms of the existing council members and establishes the terms for the members to be added.

Section 4 mandates that on or after the effective date of the act, any and all references to the state hospital review and planning council in law or regulation shall be deemed for all purposes to be references to the state health systems council.

Section 5 mandates that the act shall take effect on the 30th day after it has become law, except the amendments to paragraphs 1 and 2 of subdi- vision (A) of section 2904 of the public health law shall take affect on February 1, 2011.

Justification

The current state hospital review and planning council is not representative of the providers, professionals and users of the vast healthcare system in New York which, its decisions impact. As result, the council's decisions are not made with the full benefit of the exper- tise and range of perspectives available to it. Additionally, the coun- cil's decision-making process lacks sufficient public input and is

vulnerable to conflicts of interest. The revisions proposed by this bill would ensure that the council is representative of the essential stake- holders in our healthcare system - consumers, providers and profes- sionals - and ensure that the council's decisions are made with the best range of input possible.

Prior legislative history

New Legislation.

Fiscal implications for state and local governments

None.

Effective date

The act shall take effect on the 30th day after it has become law, except the amendments to paragraphs 1 and 2 of subdivision (A) of section 2904 of the public health law shall take affect on Febru- ary 1, 2011, provided that the commissioner of health is authorized to take the action necessary prior to the effective date of the act to ensure its timely implementation.