What's happening
This bill requires notification to patients exposed to communicable diseases by reckless healthcare provider actions and classifies such exposure as medical malpractice.
Why it matters
Direct patient notification. The bill requires the health department to inform patients if they have been exposed to a communicable disease due to a healthcare provider’s reckless actions, ensuring patients are made aware of potential health risks as soon as possible.
Accountability for providers. By classifying reckless exposure—such as reusing needles or syringes—as medical malpractice, the legislation increases legal and professional consequences for unsafe practices, potentially deterring negligent behavior.
Broader definition of malpractice. The explicit inclusion of communicable disease exposure from reckless conduct in the malpractice statute clarifies and expands what is considered unprofessional conduct, possibly impacting disciplinary actions, insurance, and litigation.
Patient empowerment and safety. Notification empowers patients to seek timely medical evaluation or intervention, reducing health risks, and encourages a culture of transparency and safety in healthcare settings.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Notify Patients of Disease Exposure
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
8 Co-sponsors
2 Multi-sponsors
History
- Referred to health
- Referred to health
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2989
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 28, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. ZEBROWSKI, MOSLEY, RIVERA, GALEF, OTIS, ABINANTI, RAIA, BARCLAY, MONTESANO -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ARROYO, COOK -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to expanding the duties of the commissioner of health to notify the patient or patients of a health care provider if such health care provider is determined to have exposed such patient or patients to a communicable disease through reckless conduct; and to amend the education law, in relation to including exposing patients to a communicable disease due to reckless conduct in the definition of professional medical malpractice
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 206 of the public health law is amended by adding a new paragraph (w) to read as follows:
(w) notify the patient or patients of a health care provider if such health care provider is determined to have exposed such patient or patients to a communicable disease through reckless conduct, including, but not limited to, the reuse of a syringe, needle or other sharp.
§ 2. Section 6530 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdivision 50 to read as follows:
50. Exposing patients to a communicable disease due to reckless conduct, including, but not limited to, the reuse of a syringe, needle or other sharp.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06167-01-9
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.