What's happening
This bill allows children's camps to employ or contract with a wider range of licensed health and mental health professionals.
Why it matters
Expands the pool of health and mental health professionals. who can be employed or contracted by camps, potentially improving access to care for campers and staff by including a broader range of licensed practitioners.
Gives licensed professionals greater autonomy. , allowing them to use their judgment within their legal scope of practice when making decisions about treatment and services for campers and staff, rather than being limited by previous regulatory restrictions.
Acknowledges the importance of mental health support. at children's camps by explicitly allowing camps to hire or contract with licensed mental health practitioners (such as psychologists, social workers, and counselors), reflecting growing awareness of mental health needs among youth.
Aligns camp health and mental health services with up-to-date regulatory standards. , requiring that professional practice at camps follows regulations developed collaboratively by the health and education departments, which may lead to more consistent and higher-quality care.
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
Allow More Camp Health Staff
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 62
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to health
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 60–0
- Ordered to third reading cal.2138
- Referred to rules
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.
Allow Health Pros at Camps
In Assembly Committee · Health · Sponsor Thomas Abinanti
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
9071
IN SENATE
June 15, 2018
Introduced by Sen. ORTT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to the provision of certain professional services to children's camps
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 1394 of the public health law, as added by chapter 515 of the laws of 2000, is amended to read as follows:
1. The public health and health planning council shall prescribe standards and establish regulations for children's overnight, summer day and traveling summer day camps, as defined in this article, concerning such matters as may be appropriate for the protection and security of the life, health and safety of the occupants of such camps.
§ 2. Subdivision 3 of section 1394 of the public health law, as added by chapter 214 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
3. Any person, firm, corporation, or association that operates a children's overnight, summer day, or traveling summer day camp, and has obtained a permit pursuant to section thirteen hundred ninety-three of this article, shall be authorized to employ or contract with any of the following licensed professionals: a physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, registered nurse, or licensed practical nurse or emergency medical technician to act as a designated camp health director or to provide health services in assistance to the camp health director [pursuant to applicable regulations promulgated by the commissioner]. All decisions, identification or coordination of professional services, or other professional interactions with campers and staff, must be made based on the professional judgment of such licensees to provide professional services within his or her lawful scope of practice for the purpose of treating campers and staff during their attendance or employment at such camp, pursuant to applicable regulations promulgated by the commissioner in consultation with the commissioner of education.
§ 3. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 1394-c to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD16297-01-8
S. 9071 2
§ 1394-c. Licensed professionals; children's camps. 1. Any person, firm, corporation, or association that operates a children's overnight, summer day or traveling summer day camp, and has obtained a permit pursuant to section thirteen hundred ninety-three of this article, shall be authorized to employ or contract with any of the mental health practitioners licensed under articles one hundred fifty-three, one hundred fifty-four and one hundred sixty-three of the education law.
2. All decisions, identification or coordination of professional services, or other professional interactions with campers and staff, must be made based on the professional judgment of such licensees to provide professional services within his or her lawful scope of practice for the purpose of treating campers and staff during their attendance or employment at such camp, pursuant to applicable regulations promulgated by the commissioner in consultation with the commissioner of education.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to the provision of certain professional services to children's camps
Purpose or general idea of bill
The bill allows children's overnight camps, summer day camps, traveling summer day camps and camps for children with developmental disabilities to employ certain specified licensed professionals and mental health care practitioners, in order to better serve the mental and physical needs of these children during their summer camp experience.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of the bill amends public health law section 1394(1) to provide the public health and health planning council shall prescribe standards and regulations for children's overnight, summer day and trav- eling summer camps.
Read the full memo (850 words)
Section 2 amends public health law section 1394(3) to authorize the operator of a children's overnight, summer day, or traveling summer day camp, with a permit pursuant to public health law section 1393, to employ or contract with the licensed professionals listed, to provide professional services, provided all decisions, identification or coordi- nation of these services, or other professional interactions with camp- ers and staff at the camp are made based on the professional judgment of such licensee within his or her lawful scope of practice for the purpose of treating campers and staff during their attendance or employment at such camp, pursuant to applicable regulations promulgated by the commis- sioner in consultation with the commissioner of education.
Section 3 amends the public health law by adding two new sections 1394c and 1394-d.
Public health law section 1394-c authorizes the operator of a children's overnight, summer day, or traveling summer day camp, with a permit pursuant to public health law section 1393, to employ or contract with any of the mental health practitioners licensed under articles 153 (psychologists), 154 (social workers) and 163(mental health practition- ers) of the education law, provided all decisions, identification or coordination of these services, or other professional interactions with campers and staff at the camp are made based on the professional judg- ment of such licensee within his or her lawful scope of practice for the purpose of treating campers and staff during their attendance or employ- ment at such camp, pursuant to applicable regulations promulgated by the commissioner in consultation with the commissioner of education.
Public health law section 1394-d authorizes camps for children with disabilities as defined in the New York codes, rules and regulations Title 10, chapter 1, part 7-2.2, and in compliance with the justice center for the protection of people with special needs, to employ or contract with any of the licensed professionals under articles 132 (chiropractic), 135 (physical therapists),156 (occupational therapy), 159 (speech-language pathologists and audiologists), 162 (athletic trainers) and 167 (applied behavior analysis) of the education law, provided all decisions, identification or coordination of these services, or other professional interactions with campers and staff at the camp are made based on the professional judgment of such licensee within his or her lawful scope of practice for the purpose of treating campers and staff during their attendance or employment at such camp, pursuant to applicable regulations promulgated by the commissioner in consultation with the commissioner of education.
Section 4 is the effective date.
Justification
Parents and camps rely on the presence of licensed professionals and practitioners to ensure the well-being of the children they serve. Many summer camps, if authorized, would employ additional licensed profes- sionals and practitioners to provide needed services for the mental health and physical well-being of campers. Additionally, camps catering to children whose lives have been impacted by traumatic events would be better able to serve these children, by having licensed mental health practitioners.
The significant increase in the number of young people diagnosed with mental health disorders, coupled with the tragic increase in suicides among our youth, highlights the need for continuous services by licensed mental health practitioners. These mental health problems do not stop when these children attend summer camps.
In addition, New York State has adopted the principal that there should be parity in the provision of mental health services and physical health services. This bill will further support that principal.
Finally, children with developmental disabilities require additional services that should be continued at camp. This bill will ensure that the licensed professionals and practitioners needed to provide these necessary services are available.
Prohibiting children's camps from hiring licensed professionals and practitioners specially trained to deal with the physical and mental needs of the children they serve does them a disservice. Camps should be allowed and encouraged to offer these services to the children who need them during their summer camp experience.
This bill will provide peace of mind to parents, knowing that their children are in the capable hands of licensed practitioners at summer camp, while also allowing camps to provide the same nurturing services that they have provided in the past.
Prior legislative history
2016-17: A.9680-A referred to higher education; same as S.1603-A (Bona- cic) passed senate; 2013-14: A6360-B (Paulin) referred to health
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
None
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.