What's happening
This bill expands and diversifies the membership of the New York Public Health and Health Planning Council, increasing its size and representation.
Why it matters
Increases the number of council members and diversifies appointment sources. , ensuring that legislative leaders from both major parties have a direct role in nominating members, which can lead to broader representation of viewpoints and interests.
Mandates that council membership reflect the diversity of New York State's population. , with explicit attention to geographic, demographic, and professional variety—potentially resulting in more responsive and equitable health policy decisions.
Requires inclusion of consumer advocates and labor representatives. , guaranteeing voices for patients, low- and moderate-income individuals, and health care workers are present in health planning and oversight, which may shift the council’s priorities and policy recommendations.
Specifies representation from a wider range of health sectors. including behavioral health, hospitals, nursing homes, home care, diagnostic centers, and payors—ensuring that the council’s decisions are informed by a more comprehensive understanding of the health care system’s complexities and challenges.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Health Council Membership
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Substituted by A4071
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.290
- Referred to health
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.
Expand Health Council Membership
Vetoed · Sponsor Richard Gottfried
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
870
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sen. HOYLMAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to membership on the public health and health planning council
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 220 of the public health law, as amended by section 7 of part N of chapter 56 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
§ 220. Public health and health planning council; appointment of members. 1. There shall continue to be in the department a public health and health planning council to consist of the commissioner and [fourteen members to be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate; provided that effective December first, two thousand ten, the membership of the council shall consist of the commissioner and twenty-four] thirty-six members to be appointed as follows: thirty members to appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate; and six members to be appointed by the governor, two upon recommendation of the speaker of the assembly, two upon recommendation of the temporary president of the senate, one upon recommendation of the minority leader of the assembly, and one upon recommendation of the minority leader of the senate.
2. As to the members of the council appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate: Membership on the council shall be reflective of the diversity of the state's population including, but not limited to, the various geographic areas and population densities throughout the state. The members shall include representatives of the public health system, health care providers that comprise the state's health care delivery system, individuals with expertise in the clinical and administrative aspects of health care delivery, issues affecting health care consumers, health planning, health care financing and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04011-01-9
S. 870 2
reimbursement, health care regulation and compliance, and public health practice and at least two members shall also be members of the behavioral health services advisory council; at least four members shall be representatives of general hospitals or nursing homes; at least four members shall be representatives of health care consumer advocacy organizations which have a statewide or regional constituency and have been involved in activities related to health care consumer advocacy including issues of interest to low- and moderate-income individuals; at least three members shall be representatives of labor organizations for health care employees; and at least one member shall be a representative of each of the following groups: home care agencies, diagnostic and treatment centers, and health care payors[, labor organizations for health care employees, and health care consumer advocacy organizations].
§ 2. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2020, and shall apply to all members of the public health and health planning council appointed or re-appointed on or after that 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 public health law, in relation to membership on the public health and health planning council
Purpose of the bill
To expand the Public Health and Health Planning Council (PHHPC) to include additional consumer and labor representatives and legislative appointees.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of the bill amends § 220 of the Public Health Law to increase the number of PHHPC appointees by the Governor from 24 to 30. The addi- tional 6 shall include:
-3 additional (for a total of four) representatives of consumer organ- izations under a new definition of health care consumer advocacy organ- izations;
-2 additional (for a total of three) representatives of labor organiza- tions for health care employees; and
-1 in no specified category.
Section 1 also adds 6 new appointees upon recommendation of the legisla- ture, including:
-2 by the Speaker of the Assembly;
-2 by the Temporary President of the Senate;
-1 by the Minority Leader of the Assembly; and -1 by the Minority Leader of the Senate.
Section 2 of the bill is the effect date: January 1, 2020.
Justification
The Public Health and Health Planning Council (PHHPC) makes decisions and recommendations to the Commissioner of Health regarding health care facility establishment, transfer, construction, and services and Health Department regulations. Established by Public Health Law § 225, PHHPC currently has 24 members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. Of these 24, 11 are in required categories as follows:
-4 who represent general hospitals or nursing homes;
-2 who are also members of the behavioral health services council; and
-At least 1 each representing home care agencies; diagnostic and treat- ment centers;
health care payers; labor organizations for health care employees; and consumer advocacy organizations.
The other 13 are chosen from among an extremely broad category encom- passing practically the entirety of health care provision and payment.
Consumer and labor advocates have raised concerns that this has created a structure that significantly underrepresents patients and workers directly affected by the Council's decisions. Although consumers and labor are "at least" one each, this has in practice meant just one per category.
Despite its broad mandate over several key policy areas, PHHPC also does not include any appointees on the recommendation of the Legislature.
This bill addresses both concerns by adding Executive appointees within the underrepresented categories as well as appointees on the recommenda- tion of the legislature in the same broad discretionary category as 13 of the current Executive appointees. The bill also spells out a clearer definition of "health care consumer advocacy organization" than is in current law in order to ensure that the concerns of low- and moderate- income patients are heard.
Legislative history
New bill
Fiscal implications
None
Effective date
January 1, 2020
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.