What's happening
This bill allows children’s camps and camps for children with developmental disabilities to employ a wider range of licensed health and mental health professionals, granting them authority to provide care within their professional scope.
Why it matters
Increases access to specialized care. By expanding the list of licensed professionals who can be employed at camps—including mental health practitioners and a broader array of health providers—children and staff are more likely to receive timely and appropriate care for both physical and mental health needs.
Respects professional expertise. The law requires that decisions about camper and staff care be made according to each provider’s professional judgment and within their legal scope of practice, ensuring that care is tailored and accountable to professional standards.
Supports children with complex needs. Camps serving children with developmental disabilities can now hire professionals across multiple health and therapy disciplines (as outlined in several sections of the education law), potentially improving outcomes and integration for campers with specialized or intensive support requirements.
Aligns regulations across agencies. The bill mandates that relevant health and education commissioners jointly develop regulations, which could help harmonize standards and oversight, reducing confusion and gaps in care for children at camp.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Let Camps Hire Licensed Pros
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 62
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- 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.
Let Camps Hire Licensed Pros
In Assembly Committee · Health · Sponsor Thomas Abinanti
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
9072
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 and camps for children with developmental disabilities
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 two new sections 1394-c and 1394-d to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD16296-01-8
S. 9072 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.
§ 1394-d. Licensed professionals; camps for children with developmental disabilities. 1. Camps for children with developmental disabilities, as defined in subpart 7-2.2, part 7, chapter 1 of Title 10 of the New York codes, rules and regulations, and in compliance with the justice center for the protection of people with special needs, shall be authorized to employ or contract with any of the licensed professionals licensed under articles one hundred thirty-two, one hundred thirty-six, one hundred fifty-six, one hundred fifty-nine, one hundred sixty-two and one hundred sixty-seven 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 and camps for children with developmental disabilities
Purpose or general idea of bill
The bill allows children's overnight camps, summer day camps and travel- ing summer day camps to employ certain specified licensed mental health care practitioners, in order to better serve the mental health of chil- dren 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 (662 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 a new section 1394-c to authorize the operator of a children's overnight, summer day, or travel- ing 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 practitioners) 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 applica- ble 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 licensed mental health care practitioners to provide needed services for the mental health and wellbeing 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 available. The significant increase in the number of young people diag- nosed with mental health disorders, coupled with the tragic increase in suicides among our youth, highlights the need for these services by licensed mental health practitioners. These mental health issues 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.
Prohibiting children's camps from hiring licensed professionals special- ly trained to deal with the mental health needs of these children does them a disservice. Camps should be allowed and encouraged to offer these services to the children who need them during their summer camp experi- ence.
This bill will provide peace of mind to parents, knowing that their children are in the capable hands of licensed mental health practition- ers 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.