Establishes the pandemic preparedness task force

Summary of provisions

1. The pandemic preparedness task force shall be composed of eighteen members who shall be representative of state government, the public health field, health care services providers, emergency response organizations and agriculture.

2. The task force shall prepare an influenza pandemic plan.

3. The task force shall:

(a) delineate accountability and responsibility among agencies involved;

(b) clarify which activities will be performed at a state, local or coordinated level;

(c) address integration across regional boundaries;

(d) formalize agreements with neighboring jurisdictions;

(e) address the provision of psycho social support services;

(f) test a communication operational plan;

(g) identify all authorities responsible for executing the influenza pandemic plan;

(h) clarify the process for requesting, coordinating and approving requests for resources;

(i) create an incident command system;

(j) assist in establishing and promoting community-based task forces;

(k) identify the authority responsible for declaring a public health emergency at the state and local levels;

(l) educate law enforcement officials so that they can pre-plan for their families to sustain themselves during the emergency;

(m) ensure that the plans are scalable to the magnitude and severity of the pandemic;

(n) share influenza data;

(o) obtain and track information daily during a pandemic;

(p) inform front-line clinicians and laboratory personnel of protocols for safe specimen collection and testing;

(q) test the influenza pandemic plan;

(r) ensure all components of the health care delivery network are included in the influenza pandemic plan and that the special needs of vulnerable and hard-to-reach patients are addressed;

(s) ensure that the plan provides for real-time situational awareness of patient visits, hospital bed and intensive care needs, medical supply needs and medical staffing needs;

(t) test the influenza pandemic plan for surge capacity;

(u) obtain credentials of volunteer health care personnel in order to meet staffing needs during a pandemic;

(v) ensure healthcare facilities have tested a plan for isolating patients;

(w) ensure the health alert network in the jurisdiction reaches at least 80% of all healthcare personnel;

(x) craft messages to help educate healthcare providers and the public about personal preparedness methods;

(y) develop and test a plan to regularly update providers as the pandemic unfolds;

(z) ensure local health authorities have access to EPI-X and are trained to use it;

(aa) work to develop state-based plans for vaccine distribution;

(bb) ensure access to vaccines during a pandemic;

(cc) delineate procedures for tracking the number and priority of vaccine recipients;

(dd) address vaccine security issues;

(ee) address the needs of vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations in the influenza pandemic plan;

(ff) document with written agreements the commitments of participating personnel and organizations in the vaccination operational plan;

(gg) inform the public as to where vaccinations will take place;

(hh) develop state based plans for distribution and use of antiviral drugs during a pandemic via the Strategic National Stockpile;

(ii) test the operational plan that addresses the procurement of treatment during a pandemic;

(jj) ensure the jurisdiction has a contingency plan if unlicensed anti-viral drugs are needed;

(kk) exercise the jurisdiction's plan to investigate and contain potential cases or local outbreaks of influenza;

(ll) exercise the jurisdiction's containment operational plan;

(mm) ensure the jurisdiction has exercised the operational plan to implement various levels of movement restriction within to and from the jurisdiction;

(nn) inform all citizens in advance of the containment procedures;

(oo) assess readiness to meet communication needs;

(pp) plan and coordinate emergency communication activities with private industry education and non-profit partners;

(qq) identify and train lead subject-specific spokespersons;

(rr) provide public health communications staff with training on risk communications for use during an influenza pandemic:

(ss) develop and maintain up-to-date communications contacts;

(tt) implement and maintain, community resources to respond to local questions from the public;

(uu) ensure the provision of communication systems that allow for the expedited transmission and receipt of information; and

(vv) assure the development of public health messages has included the expertise of behavioral health experts.

4. The task force shall meet at least six times a year.

5. The members shall receive no compensation for their services but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses.

6. The task force shall report to the governor and the legislature with a preliminary draft of the influenza pandemic plan on or before July first, 2015 and a final plan on or before December thirty-first, 2015.

Justification

Pandemics happen when a novel influenza virus emerges that infects and can be efficiently transmitted between humans. Animals are the most likely reservoir for these emerging viruses; avian viruses played a role in the last three influenza pandemics. Two of these pandemic-causing viruses remain in circulation and are responsible for the majority of influenza cases each year.

Planning for pandemic influenza is critical. This legislation is based on a checklist designed by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to assist state and local jurisdictions to adequately prepare for disease outbreaks.

The task force shall draft an "Influenza Pandemic Plan", the purpose of such plan is to provide a protocol for the detection and response to an influenza pandemic; to provide guidance to local health

departments and local information network and communication system agencies in the development of their influenza pandemic plans; and to provide guidance to other public health care partners regarding their roles related to an influenza pandemic.

Legislative history

2011-12 S.4985A; 2009-10 S.1561; 2007-08, S.935; 2005-06, S7634.

Fiscal implications

To be determined.

Effective date

This act shall take effect January 1 next succeeding the date on which this act shall have become law; provided that the appointments required to be made pursuant to subdivision 1 of section 719 of the executive law, as added by section one of this act, shall be made on or before such effective date.