What's happening
This bill updates legal language to allow all health care practitioners—not just physicians, osteopaths, or dentists—to affirm statements in court cases.
Why it matters
Broadens who can affirm statements for legal proceedings. By replacing “physician, osteopath or dentist” with “health care practitioner,” the bill allows a wider range of licensed health professionals (such as nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and others) to submit affirmations in court, not just doctors and dentists.
Reflects modern health care roles. The change acknowledges that many types of health care practitioners now provide essential care and expertise, aligning the law with current medical practice realities and team-based care models.
May speed up legal and medical processes. Allowing more professionals to make affirmations could reduce bottlenecks in legal proceedings involving medical issues, making it easier and faster to submit required documentation.
Expands access to justice and legal participation. Patients and parties in legal cases, especially in underserved areas or specialized care settings, may benefit from having more health care professionals eligible to support their cases through sworn statements.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Let Health Workers Affirm
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
3 Co-sponsors
History
- Reported referred to rules
- Referred to codes
- Referred to codes
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.
Let Health Workers Affirm Statements
In Senate Committee · Judiciary · Sponsor Gustavo Rivera
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2540
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 20, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. GOTTFRIED, PAULIN, SEPULVEDA -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the civil practice law and rules, in relation to changing reference from physician, osteopath or dentist to health care practitioner
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Rule 2106 of the civil practice law and rules, as amended by chapter 380 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
Rule 2106. Affirmation of truth of statement. (a) The statement of an attorney admitted to practice in the courts of the state, or of a [physician, osteopath or dentist] health care practitioner, authorized by title eight of the education law to practice in the state, who is not a party to an action, when subscribed and affirmed by him or her to be true under the penalties of perjury, may be served or filed in the action in lieu of and with the same force and effect as an affidavit.
(b) The statement of any person, when that person is physically located outside the geographic boundaries of the United States, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, subscribed and affirmed by that person to be true under the penalties of perjury, may be used in an action in lieu of and with the same force and effect as an affidavit. Such affirmation shall be in substantially the following form:
I affirm this ___ day of ______, ____, under the penalties of perjury under the laws of New York, which may include a fine or imprisonment, that I am physically located outside the geographic boundaries of the United States, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, that the foregoing is true, and I understand that this document may be filed in an action or proceeding in a court of law.
(Signature)
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01015-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.