What's happening
This bill prohibits employment discrimination against certified medical marijuana patients based solely on positive marijuana drug tests.
Why it matters
Redefines positive marijuana drug tests. The bill clarifies that a positive test for marijuana cannot be used as proof that a certified medical marijuana patient is impaired at work, addressing a major concern about the accuracy and fairness of drug testing.
Strengthens employment protections. By treating certified medical marijuana patients as having a "disability" under state law, the bill expands their legal protections against discrimination, akin to those offered for other medical conditions.
Limits employer liability. The amendment specifies that these protections do not require employers to violate federal law or risk federal contracts or funding, balancing patient rights with business compliance requirements.
Focuses on actual impairment. Employers retain the right to enforce policies against on-the-job impairment, but must distinguish between lawful medical use and functional impairment, which could shift workplace drug policy practices.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Protect Medical Marijuana Patients
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Ordered to third reading cal.333
- Advanced to third reading cal.282
- Reported
- Referred to health
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4560
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 3, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. ABINANTI -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to protections for the medical use of marihuana
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 3369 of the public health law, as added by chapter 90 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
2. Non-discrimination. Being a certified patient shall be deemed to be having a "disability" under article fifteen of the executive law (human rights law), section forty-c of the civil rights law, sections 240.00, 485.00, and 485.05 of the penal law, and section 200.50 of the criminal procedure law. This subdivision shall not bar the enforcement of a policy prohibiting an employee from performing his or her employment duties while impaired by a controlled substance. The fact that a certified patient tests positive for marihuana in a drug test shall not be determinative of whether such certified patient is performing his or her employment duties while impaired by a controlled substance and shall not be the basis for a hiring decision or disciplinary action against a certified patient. This subdivision shall not require any person or entity to do any act that would put the person or entity in violation of federal law or cause it to lose a federal contract or funding.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, the amendments to section 3369 of the public health law, made by section one of this act, shall not affect the repeal of such section and shall be deemed repealed therewith.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03947-01-7
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.