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History
- Signed chap.549
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.435
- Substituted for A8301C
- Referred to higher education
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 61–0
- Ordered to third reading cal.1319
- Referred to rules
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Provides for temporary surrender of the license of a dentist or pharmacist with a drug or alcohol abuse problem, or such other disposition as determined by department
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Donna Lupardo
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S8372
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to accessing the profes- sional assistance program for impaired professionals in the professions of dentistry and pharmacy
Purpose
Allows the New York state Education Department's professional Assistance Program for impaired professionals to accept people into the program in appropriate situations without having to surrender their license for the professions of dentistry and pharmacy.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Amends Education Law section 6510-b to add a new subdivision (8)to allow the NYS Education Department Professional Assistance Program to accept impaired professionals in the fields of dentistry and pharma- cies into the program without having to require in all cases the surren- der of the professional's license. Instead, the Education Department's authorized to make any other disposition of the license that is appro- priate for the professional, which may or may not include the surrender of the license, if the Department determines that the health and safety of the public will be adequately protected.
Section 2: Immediate effective date.
Justification
Under existing law, any impaired dentists and persons licensed as phar- macists who wish to enter the New York State Education Department's Professional Assistance Program (PAP) must surrender their license to do so. This disadvantages impaired professionals who are already in active treatment programs for their addictive illness and are fully capable of practicing in the interim. It discourages such people from availing themselves of the help services that the PAP can provide to them. The bill would eliminate that barrier and allow the PAP the discretion to accept people into the program without having to require the surrender of a license. Instead, the PAP could make any alternative license dispo- sition that would be appropriate to the individual professional's circumstances. It could still include requiring the surrender of a license, but it could also include less drastic, more appropriate alter- native disposition if the Department determines that the health and safety of the public will be adequately protected. This will make the PAP more effective in helping impaired professionals and that, in turn, will benefit the public.
Legislative history
This bill is similar to S.8261 which passed the Senate in June 2010.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Immediate.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.