Healthcare

passed both · New York · Senate Mar 10, 2026

S 1287: Establishes the rare disease advisory council

Establishes the rare disease advisory council to identify best practices, raise awareness regarding rare diseases, evaluate barriers to access to care, and to make recommendations to the legislature and the governor.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes council to evaluate rare disease care barriers and recommend improvements, directly addressing patient access to healthcare services.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · New York · Assembly Mar 5, 2026

A 6824: Provides for eye and tissue donation

Provides for eye and tissue donation; requires coroners to develop a protocol for making referrals of deaths that fall under their jurisdiction and occur outside of a hospital including calling the federally designated organ procurement organization for donor registry verification and a donor suitability determination.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill establishes protocols for organ/tissue donation referrals, enhancing access to transplant services and supporting healthcare infrastructure for patient care.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed both · New York · Assembly Mar 5, 2026

A 4591: Relates to hospital care for mastectomy, lumpectomy, and lymph node dissection patients

Requires that general hospitals that provide mastectomy surgery, lymph node dissection or lumpectomy provide information to such patients concerning options for breast reconstruction.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires hospitals to provide breast reconstruction options information to patients, improving patient access and rights in surgical care.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · New York · Assembly Feb 24, 2026

A 5546: Provides for the release of patient records by the office of mental health

This bill requires New York's Office of Mental Health to create rules for releasing patient records after a person's death. It allows family members, legal representatives, or healthcare providers involved in the person's care to access these records upon written request, while respecting any prior expressed wishes of the deceased. The rules must follow federal privacy laws (HIPAA) and define "family member" for treatment-related requests. It applies directly to families of deceased residents in mental health facilities and the Office of Mental Health, overriding some existing privacy restrictions. The bill does not change current rules for living patients' records.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables family/healthcare access to mental health records post-death while respecting privacy, aligning with patient rights protection in healthcare access.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill requires HIPAA-compliant release of patient records, reinforcing data privacy protections for health information.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · New York · Assembly Feb 24, 2026

A 1039: Establishes a duty to inform certain patients about the risks associated with cesarean section for patients undergoing planned and unplanned primary cesarean sections

Establishes a duty to inform certain patients about the risks associated with cesarean section for patients undergoing a planned or unplanned primary cesarean section.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates informed consent for cesarean sections, protecting patient rights and safety in medical procedures.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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signed · New York · Assembly Feb 13, 2026

A 9510: Relates to the use of virtual credit cards by insurers and certain health care plans and the effectiveness of provisions of law relating thereto

This bill requires insurers and health care plans to follow specific rules when using virtual credit cards or fee-based digital payment methods to reimburse healthcare providers. Insurers must first notify providers of any potential fees, offer a fee-free payment alternative, and get the provider's written consent within 30 days to use the fee-based method. If a provider doesn't respond in time, insurers must default to the fee-free option. The law applies directly to insurers and healthcare providers who contract with them, ensuring transparency and preventing unexpected charges for providers.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcarePrevents insurers from imposing fees on providers without consent, ensuring fee-free payment options and protecting provider financial stability within healthcare reimbursement.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · New York · Senate Feb 13, 2026

S 8769: Provides confidentiality for communications arising out of law enforcement peer support counseling

This bill establishes legal confidentiality for conversations between police officers and peer support specialists during official counseling sessions. It directly affects law enforcement officers seeking mental health support and the peer support specialists who provide it. Key provisions prohibit disclosing session details unless there's a specific threat of suicide, self-harm, violence, or child abuse - allowing limited disclosure only to prevent harm. Officers must receive written notice before sessions explaining these confidentiality rules and exceptions. The law ensures peer support communications remain private except in clearly defined safety emergencies.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill establishes confidentiality for police peer support counseling, promoting officer mental health and accountability - key aspects of criminal justice reform.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill protects mental health counseling confidentiality for police officers, removing barriers to access and aligning with mental health service support indicators.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentConfidentiality protects law enforcement officers' access to mental health support, enhancing workplace safety and workers' rights in high-stress roles without restricting protections.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · New York · Assembly Feb 13, 2026

A 9491: Relates to cases terminated due to mental disease or defect and to establishing reporting obligations regarding such cases

This bill (A 9491) requires courts and mental health institutions to coordinate discharge planning for defendants in criminal cases terminated due to mental disease or defect. It mandates that courts order referrals to community services (when clinically appropriate and with consent) and dismiss charges upon termination, while institutions must track referrals and submit de-identified annual reports to state officials. The mental hygiene law office must publish annual public data on defendant outcomes, including admission rates, discharge planning, and referral patterns. The bill directly affects defendants in such cases, courts, mental health facilities, and state agencies, without altering eligibility for services or requiring referrals where consent is absent.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates community referrals for mental health cases, reduces recidivism by improving rehabilitation, and aligns with criminal justice reform indicators.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates coordination between courts/institutions for mental health discharge planning and community referrals, strengthening continuity of care for mental health patients.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

passed · New York · Assembly Feb 5, 2026

A 4346: Relates to the administration of certain immunizations by a pharmacist or a certified nurse practitioner

This bill allows pharmacists and certified nurse practitioners in New York to administer the mpox vaccine (and other specified vaccines like flu, COVID-19, and measles) to adults 18 and older under certain conditions. It requires the health commissioner to confirm the vaccine is safe for pharmacists to administer, needed to prevent a prevalent disease in the state, or recommended for patients lacking documentation or with specific risk factors. The law expands existing authority for pharmacists to give certain vaccines but maintains age limits (e.g., flu vaccine for ages 2+). It does not authorize unlicensed individuals to administer vaccines.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands vaccine access by allowing pharmacists/nurse practitioners to administer key vaccines (mpox, flu, COVID-19), improving public health service delivery and patient access.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · New York · Assembly Jan 27, 2026

A 3350: Relates to educating nursing home residents about the role of legal counsel in applying for Medicaid and Medicare benefits

Bill A 3350 requires nursing homes to inform their residents about their right to seek legal assistance. It specifically mandates that a statement be provided to patients regarding their right to legal counsel when applying for Medicaid and/or Medicare benefits. This bill amends the public health law to ensure nursing home residents are aware of this option during the benefit application process.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires nursing homes to inform residents about legal counsel for Medicaid/Medicare applications, improving access to existing healthcare benefits and protecting patient rights.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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