What's happening
This bill requires New York's disaster preparedness plans to include arrangements for delivering medical supplies and medications during emergencies.
Why it matters
Ensures Continuity of Care During Disasters. By requiring formal plans for delivering medical supplies and medications, the bill helps prevent interruptions in treatment for vulnerable populations, such as hospital patients and nursing home residents, during emergencies.
Addresses a Critical Gap in Emergency Response. Disasters often disrupt supply chains; this amendment explicitly obligates the state to plan for medical delivery logistics, which can be crucial for managing chronic illnesses and urgent health needs when normal access routes are compromised.
Protects Public Health Infrastructure. Pharmacies, hospitals, and nursing homes are specifically named, highlighting the importance of safeguarding institutions that serve as pillars of community health, especially during crises when their services are most vital.
May Reduce Emergency-related Morbidity and Mortality. By prioritizing the delivery of essential medicines, the bill aims to mitigate the risk of preventable health complications and deaths that can occur when people are cut off from necessary medical treatments during disasters.
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
State disaster planners
The bill would require state disaster preparedness plans to include arrangements ensuring delivery of medical supplies and medications to pharmacies, hospitals and nursing homes in a declared disaster emergency area.
Pharmacies
The required delivery arrangements would cover pharmacies located within the declared disaster emergency area.
Hospitals
Hospitals in the declared disaster emergency area would be included in plans to ensure deliveries of medical supplies and medications.
Nursing homes
Nursing homes in the declared disaster emergency area would also be covered by the required delivery arrangements.
Headline styles
Ensure Emergency Medical Deliveries
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
- Referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
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.
Ensure Disaster Medical Deliveries
In Assembly Committee · Rules · Sponsor Jeffrey Dinowitz
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5853
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 15, 2019
Introduced by Sen. GAUGHRAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to state disaster preparedness plans
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subparagraphs 14, 15 and 16 of paragraph b of subdivision 3 of section 22 of the executive law are renumbered subparagraphs 15, 16, and 17 and a new subparagraph 14 is added to read as follows:
(14) arrangements to ensure that medical supplies and medications can be delivered to pharmacies, hospitals and nursing homes located within the area declared to be experiencing a disaster emergency.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01331-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to state disaster preparedness plans
Purpose
This bill requires that the state disaster preparedness plan make provisions to ensure-that medical supplies and medication can be deliv- ered to pharmacies, hospitals and nursing homes within an area declared to be experiencing a disaster.
Summary of provisions
Section one adds a new subparagraph to subdivision three of section 22 of the executive law by requiring that the state disaster preparedness plan consider how medical supplies and medication can be delivered to pharmacies and hospitals located within the an area declared to be expe- riencing a disaster emergency.
Section two provides that this act shall take effect thirty days after becoming law.
Justification
Ensuring the continuation of medical care to those in need of medical services during a declared state of emergency is of upmost importance. Therefore, it is imperative that our state preparedness plan consider how medication and supplies can be efficiently delivered to hospitals and pharmacies during a declared state of emergency.
During Hurricane Sandy the Port Authority closed the bridges to Long Island to all but emergency vehicles. In one instance, a medical deliv- ery company was forced to rent an ambulance in order to deliver their shipment of an uncommon drug to a hospitalized patient in dire straits.
It took several hours to coordinate the delivery of this medication, despite requests for assistance from the State Police. All the while, the patient was at risk and without their needed medication.
During the November 2014 blizzard in Buffalo, the upstate driving ban prevented even emergency deliveries to area hospitals. Several health systems have report that during the three day driving ban, they had to cut off or significantly limit prescription therapy/dosages to patients.
As a state, we need to do better to ensure that patients have access to the medication and supplies they rely on during declared emergencies. By requiring that the state preparedness plan consider and make arrange- ments to ensure that medication and supplies can be delivered to pharma- cies and hospitals during declared emergencies, we can be better prepared for the next disaster.
Legislative history
2018: A.9652 - Passed Assembly/S.7590 - Reported to Finance 2017: A.1198 - Vetoed Memo 169/ S.5998- Vetoed Memo 169 2015-16: A.8562A - Vetoed Memo 241/S.6446 - Vetoed Memo 241
Fiscal implications
None to the estate.
Effective date
This act shall take effect 30 days after becoming law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.