What's happening
This bill allows qualified nurse practitioners to admit patients to inpatient mental health units on a voluntary basis.
Why it matters
Expanding provider roles. By allowing qualified psychiatric nurse practitioners to admit patients, the bill addresses workforce shortages and can speed up access to mental health care, especially in areas with fewer physicians.
Maintaining patient safety. The bill still requires that only those with psychiatric specialty certification can perform admissions, ensuring that patients are evaluated by professionals with appropriate mental health expertise.
Improving system efficiency. Hospitals may experience reduced bottlenecks and delays in admitting voluntary mental health patients, which can improve patient outcomes and optimize use of inpatient resources.
Reflecting evolving healthcare models. This change acknowledges the growing role of nurse practitioners in the healthcare system, potentially paving the way for broader scope-of-practice reforms in mental health and other fields.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Let Nurses Admit Mental Patients
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to higher education
- Referred to higher education
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 Nurses Admit Mental Patients
In Senate Committee · Mental Health And Developmental Disabilities · Sponsor Kevin S. Parker
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3895
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 30, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. ORTIZ, GOTTFRIED, COLTON, HOOPER, JOYNER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to authorizing nurse practitioners to admit a patient to an inpatient mental health unit on a voluntary basis
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 9.01 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new ninth undesignated paragraph to read as follows:
"qualified nurse practitioner" means an individual licensed pursuant to article one hundred thirty-nine of the education law and certified as a nurse practitioner pursuant to section sixty-nine hundred two of the education law with a certificate in the specialty of psychiatry.
§ 2. Subdivision (a) of section 9.13 of the mental hygiene law, as amended by chapter 465 of the laws of 1992, is amended to read as follows:
(a) The director of any hospital may receive as a voluntary patient any suitable person in need of care and treatment, who voluntarily makes written application therefor. To the extent that such written application requires an examination of the patient and confirmation that the patient has a mental illness for which care and treatment in a mental hospital is appropriate, such evaluation and confirmation shall be made by either a physician or a qualified nurse practitioner. If the person is under sixteen years of age, the person may be received as a voluntary patient only on the application of the parent, legal guardian, or nextof-kin of such person, or, subject to the terms of any court order or any instrument executed pursuant to section three hundred eighty-four-a of the social services law, a social services official or authorized agency with care and custody of such person pursuant to the social services law, the director of the division for youth, acting in accordance with section five hundred nine of the executive law, or a person or
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08875-01-7
A. 3895 2
entity having custody of the person pursuant to an order issued pursuant to section seven hundred fifty-six or one thousand fifty-five of the family court act. If the person is over sixteen and under eighteen years of age, the director may, in his discretion, admit such person either as a voluntary patient on his own application or on the application of the person's parent, legal guardian, next-of-kin, or, subject to the terms of any court order or any instrument executed pursuant to section three hundred eighty-four-a of the social services law, a social services official or authorized agency with care and custody of such person pursuant to the social services law, the director of the division for youth, acting in accordance with section five hundred nine of the executive law, provided that such person knowingly and voluntarily consented to such application in accordance with such section, or a person or entity having custody of the person pursuant to an order issued pursuant to section seven hundred fifty-six or one thousand fifty-five of the family court act.
§ 3. Section 9.15 of the mental hygiene law, as renumbered by chapter 978 of the laws of 1977, is amended to read as follows: § 9.15 Informal admissions.
The director of any hospital approved by the commissioner for such purpose may receive therein as an informal patient any suitable person in need of care and treatment requesting admission thereto. Such person may be admitted as a patient without making formal or written application therefor and any such patient shall be free to leave such hospital at any time after such admission. To the extent that such admission requires an examination of the patient and confirmation that the patient has a mental illness for which care and treatment in a mental hospital is appropriate, such evaluation and confirmation shall be made by either a physician or a qualified nurse practitioner.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
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.