STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8848 IN SENATE July 29, 2020 ___________ Introduced by Sen. SERINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules AN ACT enacting the "Protecting Our Nursing Homes Act of 2020" to estab- lish a program to provide funding for nursing homes to purchase personal protective equipment, provide for the cost of COVID-19 test- ing, and to increase staffing; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as 2 the "Protecting Our Nursing Homes Act of 2020". 3 § 2. 1. For the purposes of this act: 4 a. "Nursing home" shall mean a facility pursuant to subdivision two of 5 section 2801 of the public health law or an adult care facility subject 6 to the provisions of title two of article seven of the social services 7 law. 8 b. "Personal protective clothing and equipment" shall mean personal 9 protective clothing and equipment worn for protection against illness 10 from infectious disease or materials or to help prevent or reduce the 11 spread of infectious disease or illness, including, but not limited to, 12 isolation gowns and coveralls, gloves, facemasks, face shields, goggles, 13 and any other clothing or equipment determined by the commissioner of 14 health to be effective in protecting the wearer against illness from 15 infectious disease or materials or to help prevent or reduce the spread 16 of infectious disease or illness. 17 2. The commissioner of health is hereby authorized and directed to 18 establish and implement a program to provide nursing homes with funds: 19 to purchase personal protective equipment; to provide for the cost of 20 COVID-19 testing for nursing home residents and employees; to hire and 21 train additional staff in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; or to make 22 any purchase directly related to improving pandemic response within a 23 nursing home. 24 3. Such program shall be provided no less than $100,000,000 of monies 25 that have been allocated to the state of New York by the federal Corona- EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD16796-04-0

S. 8848 2 1 virus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020 (P.L. 116- 2 136) that have not otherwise been obligated, to provide nursing homes 3 with funds to purchase personal protective equipment or hire additional 4 staff. 5 4. Any unit of local government that received funding from the federal 6 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020 (P.L. 7 116-136) shall create a program to provide nursing homes with funds to 8 purchase personal protective equipment, provide for the cost of COVID-19 9 testing for nursing home residents and employees, or hire and train 10 additional staff, with a funding level proportional to the size of the 11 state program, and the funding they received from the CARES Act. 12 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire July 31, 13 2021, when upon such date the provisions of this act shall be deemed 14 repealed.

Enacts the "Protecting Our Nursing Homes Act of 2020"

What's Happening

Why It Matters