What's happening
This bill allows children's camps to employ or contract licensed health and mental health professionals to provide services within their scope of practice.
Why it matters
Expands access to mental health care at camps. by explicitly allowing camps to hire or contract with a wide range of licensed mental health professionals (including those licensed under psychology, social work, and mental health counseling laws), not just traditional medical staff.
Centers professional judgment and standards of care. by affirming that licensed health and mental health professionals at camps must provide services within their legal scope of practice, following their own clinical judgment rather than camp administrators’ directives.
Promotes a safer, more supportive camp environment. for both campers and staff by allowing for on-site mental health support, potentially addressing crises, ongoing needs, or preventive care more effectively.
Aligns regulatory oversight. by requiring that the rules governing these professionals at camps be developed in consultation with both health and education authorities, which may help ensure high standards and appropriate coordination between agencies.
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Who cares
Permitted children's camp operators
The bill would authorize overnight, summer day and traveling summer day camps to employ or contract with licensed mental health practitioners.
Licensed mental health practitioners
The bill would authorize them to treat campers and staff, with professional decisions based on their judgment and within their lawful scope of practice.
Camp health directors and medical staff
The bill would require decisions and coordination of professional services to rest on licensed professionals' judgment within their lawful scope of practice.
State health and education officials
The bill would require regulations governing these professional services to be issued by the health commissioner in consultation with the education commissioner.
Headline styles
Allow Mental Health at Camps
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to higher education
- Referred to higher education
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2994
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 28, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. ABINANTI -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education
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.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02869-01-9
A. 2994 2
§ 3. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 1394-c to read as follows:
§ 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.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.