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S4741Senate2019-2020 SessionSame asA9536

Let Patients Name Emergency Contact

Official title

“Enacts "Stephen's law"; requires certified treatment programs to notify patients of their right to name an emergency contact”

Sponsor Pete HarckhamSD-40+10 co-sponsorsAffects Health
Status
Signed by Governor
Impact
3/10
Low
Outcome
Signed into law

Bill progress

Signed into law

What's happening

This bill requires certified treatment programs to notify patients of their right to designate an emergency contact person.

Why it matters

  1. Empowers patients in treatment programs. by ensuring they are informed about their right to designate who should be contacted in an emergency, potentially enhancing their sense of autonomy and safety during recovery.

  2. Promotes patient-centered care. by directing programs to work collaboratively with individuals to identify support persons who can actively assist in both treatment and recovery, not just in emergencies.

  3. Sets expectations for communication protocols. by requiring state guidelines that instruct programs on how and when to communicate with emergency contacts, which could standardize and improve responses during crises.

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Who cares

  • Certified treatment programs

    They would have to notify every patient of the right to identify people to contact in an emergency.

  • Patients in certified treatment programs

    They would receive notice of their right to name emergency contacts, with state guidelines encouraging programs to help identify people who can support treatment and recovery.

  • Office of Addiction Services and Supports

    It would develop guidelines on identifying support people and emergency contacts, including recommended communication protocols.

  • Patients’ emergency contacts

    Recommended protocols would guide how certified treatment programs communicate with them.

Headline styles

Let Patients Name Emergency Contact

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Pete Harckham

Senator · Senate District 40

Chair, Alcoholism And Substance Abuse

History

  1. Signed chap.270
  2. Delivered to governor
  3. Returned to senate
  4. Passed assembly
  5. Ordered to third reading rules cal.249
  6. Substituted for A9536
  7. Referred to alcoholism and drug abuse
  8. Delivered to assembly
  9. Passed senateVote 61–0
  10. Ordered to third reading cal.330
  11. Committee discharged and committed to rules
  12. Print number 4741b
Show 14 earlier actions
  1. Amend (t) and recommit to alcoholism and substance abuse
  2. Referred to alcoholism and substance abuse
  3. Returned to senate
  4. Died in assembly
  5. Referred to alcoholism and drug abuse
  6. Delivered to assembly
  7. Passed senateVote 60–0
  8. Advanced to third reading
  9. 2nd report cal.
  10. 1st report cal.510
  11. Print number 4741a
  12. Amend (t) and recommit to mental health and developmental disabilities
  13. Reported and committed to mental health and developmental disabilities
  14. Referred to alcoholism and substance abuse

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.

A9536Assembly

Let Patients Name Emergency Contacts

Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor John T. McDonald III

Impact 3 · Low0% to pass

Full text

2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

4741--B

2019-2020 Regular Sessions

IN SENATE

March 22, 2019

Introduced by Sens. HARCKHAM, ORTT, BIAGGI, CARLUCCI, KAPLAN, KENNEDY, KRUEGER, MARTINEZ, RAMOS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse -- reported favorably from said committee… Show all

Introduced by Sens. HARCKHAM, ORTT, BIAGGI, CARLUCCI, KAPLAN, KENNEDY, KRUEGER, MARTINEZ, RAMOS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse -- reported favorably from said committee and committed to the Committee on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- recommitted to the Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to requiring certified treatment programs to notify patients of their right to name an emergency contact

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as "Stephen's law".

§ 2. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section 32.17-a to read as follows: § 32.17-a Notification of emergency contact.

Every certified treatment program shall notify every patient of their right to identify individuals who should be contacted in case of emergency, as such term is defined by the commissioner.

§ 3. The office of addiction services and supports shall develop guidelines to encourage certified treatment programs to work with patients to identify individuals who can assist in their treatment and recovery, and to identify those individuals who can serve as an emergency contact person for such patient. Such guidelines shall provide instruction to certified treatment programs regarding recommended protocols for communicating with emergency contacts.

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD05434-08-9

S. 4741--B 2

§ 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the development of guidelines necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such date.

Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.

Sponsor's memo

Title of bill

An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to requiring certi- fied treatment programs to notify patients of their right to name an emergency contact

Purpose

This bill would require that all certified treatment programs notify every patient of their right to identify individuals who should be contacted in case of emergency, as such term is defined by the commis- sioner.

Summary of provisions

Section 1 titles the bill "Stephen's Law".

Section 2 amends the mental hygiene law by adding 32.17-a which would require all certified treatment programs notify every patient of their right to identify individuals who should be contacted in case of emer- gency, as such term is defined by the commissioner.

Section 3 directs OASAS to develop guidelines to help patients to iden- tify individuals who can assist in their treatment and recovery and those who can serve as emergency contacts.

Section 4 sets the effective date.

Justification

On the morning of August 24th, 2018, the mother of Stephen Canastraro Jr, went to wake him, only to find him cold and unresponsive. Stephen dies due to large gaps in our treatment system. Through this painful journey, Stephen and his family learned how difficult it is to navigate health care and support for Substance Abuse Disorder and Mental Health. Stephen wanted so desperately to get better but could not do this on his own.

In the days prior to his death, Stephen demonstrated to the provider some warning signs of relapse, such as missed appointments and drug use. Today's drugs kill faster than cancer, and as fast as a massive heart attack. Every minute counts battling this disease.

On August 22nd, the provider was aware of Stephen failing a urine test, and let Stephen return home.

Stephen signed a New York State release form that granted access to medical information to his mother and to Save the Michaels of the World, a non-profit organization that provides support to those struggling with addiction.

However, neither Stephen's mother nor Save the Michaels were notified of his missed appointments or positive drug screens.

One phone call on August 22nd -- two days before Stephen died - could have saved Stephen's life. This bill, named in Stephen's memory, simply requires that certified treatment programs notify patients of their rights to identify individ- uals who should be contacted in case of emergency.

Legislative history

This is a new bill.

Fiscal implications

None to the State.

Effective date

This act shall take effect 180 days after becoming a law.

Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.