What's happening
This bill requires hospice programs providing care in a patient's home to comply with the home care services worker registry.
Why it matters
Expands oversight and accountability. By requiring hospice programs that provide care in patients’ homes to comply with the home care services worker registry, the bill introduces new oversight for hospice staff, potentially improving patient safety and care quality.
Aligns hospice with home care standards. The change removes the exemption that hospices previously had, making them adhere to the same worker registry requirements as other home care agencies. This could help standardize background checks and employment tracking across home-based care providers.
Impacts hiring processes. Hospices will now be subject to requirements such as criminal background checks and reporting staff information to the registry, which may affect their hiring timelines, administrative processes, and workforce management.
Enhances transparency for patients and families. Patients and their families will have increased assurance that hospice workers in the home have undergone regulatory scrutiny, potentially building greater trust in hospice care services.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Register Hospice Home Care Workers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Signed chap.206
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to assembly
- Passed senateVote 62–0
- 3rd reading cal.1163
- Substituted for S6347
- Referred to rules
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.172
- Rules report cal.172
- Reported
Show 3 earlier actions
- Reported referred to rules
- Reported referred to codes
- Referred to health
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.
Require Hospice Worker Registry
Senate Floor Calendar · Sponsor Kemp Hannon
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7846
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 17, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. GOTTFRIED, LUPARDO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring that a hospice program providing hospice care in a patient's home shall comply with the home care services worker registry
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 3613 of the public health law, as amended by chapter 471 of the laws of 2016, is amended to read as follows:
(a) "Home care services entity" means a home care services agency or other entity providing home care services subject to this article or exempt under section thirty-six hundred nineteen of this article, [a hospice program certified pursuant to article forty of this chapter providing routine care at home under the hospice benefit,] or an enhanced assisted living residence licensed under article seven of the social services law and certified under article forty-six-B of this chapter providing enhanced assisted living services. A hospice program under article forty of this chapter providing hospice care in a patient's home shall be considered a home care services entity only for the purpose of compliance with the home care services worker registry.
§ 2. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 4013-b to read as follows:
§ 4013-b. Home care services worker registry. A hospice program providing hospice care in a patient's home shall comply with the home care services worker registry under section thirty-six hundred thirteen of this chapter.
§ 3. Subdivision 10 of section 2899-a of the public health law, as amended by chapter 94 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11454-01-7
A. 7846 2
10. Notwithstanding subdivision eleven of section eight hundred forty-five-b of the executive law, a certified home health agency, licensed home care services agency or long term home health care program certified, licensed or approved under article thirty-six of this chapter or a home care services agency exempt from certification or licensure under article thirty-six of this chapter, a hospice program under article forty of this chapter, or an adult home, enriched housing program or residence for adults licensed under article seven of the social services law, may temporarily approve a prospective employee while the results of the criminal history information check and the determination are pending, upon the condition that the provider conducts appropriate direct observation and evaluation of the temporary employee, while he or she is temporarily employed, and the care recipient. The results of such observations shall be documented in the temporary employee's personnel file and shall be maintained. For purposes of providing such appropriate direct observation and evaluation, the provider shall utilize an individual employed by such provider with a minimum of one year's experience working in an agency certified, licensed or approved under article thirty-six of this chapter or an adult home, enriched housing program or residence for adults licensed under article seven of the social services law. If the temporary employee is working under contract with another provider certified, licensed or approved under article thirty-six of this chapter, such contract provider's appropriate direct observation and evaluation of the temporary employee, shall be considered sufficient for the purposes of complying with this subdivision.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately; provided that the amendments to paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 3613 of the public health law made by section one of this act shall be subject to the expiration and reversion of such paragraph and shall expire and be deemed repealed therewith.
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.