This bill establishes a licensing system for dietitians and nutritionists in New York. It defines "licensed dietitian" and "licensed nutritionist," requiring professionals to meet specific education and training standards to practice. The law restricts the use of titles like "dietitian" or "nutritionist" to only those who are licensed, and specifies that only licensed professionals can provide medical nutrition therapy and therapeutic diets for health conditions. It also clarifies the scope of practice for both professions, including services like nutrition counseling and managing dietary needs for chronic diseases.
Bill S 4612 amends the workers' compensation law to include coverage for treatment provided by licensed massage therapists. It defines "massage therapist" and adds them to the list of authorized healthcare providers within the workers' compensation system. Under this bill, an injured employee can receive massage therapy if prescribed or referred by an authorized physician, physician assistant, podiatrist, or nurse practitioner. Massage therapists rendering such treatment would be required to maintain patient records. However, their reports or opinions would not be considered evidence of the causal link of an injury to a work accident or occupational disease, nor evidence of disability, under this law.
This bill requires New York's Department of Health to create a patient-focused pamphlet about laparoscopic power morcellation surgery by July 1, 2027. The pamphlet must explain the procedure, its risks (including potential cancer spread), benefits, alternatives, required cancer screenings, privacy protections during the procedure, and options for reporting misconduct. It must be written in plain language and available in English plus six common non-English languages spoken in New York. The pamphlet will be provided to patients by healthcare practitioners before they undergo this specific surgery. It directly affects patients considering this procedure and healthcare providers who must offer the pamphlet.
Provides that individuals may receive breast cancer screenings under an insurance plan when such individual has a second degree relative with a prior history of breast cancer.
Directs the commissioner of corrections and community supervision, in consultation with the commissioner of health and the commissioner of mental health, to develop a uniform electronic medical records system to be utilized by all correctional facilities in the state.
Requires inspections of child day care homes, programs and facilities include the full premises; requires providers of a family day care home or group family day care home to disclose to the office of children and family services all persons who reside in the home where child day care is being provided; requires all providers of child day care to receive training for, provide and maintain onsite opioid antagonists for use during emergencies.
This bill allows licensed creative arts therapists (as defined under New York's Education Law Article 163) to bill Medicaid directly for their services. It amends the social services law to explicitly include these therapists in the list of providers permitted to bill Medicaid directly for covered mental health services. The change affects creative arts therapists who currently provide services within their scope of practice but may have previously needed intermediaries to access Medicaid reimbursement. The bill does not alter their scope of practice or expand covered services - it only changes the billing mechanism. This would streamline payment for these therapists while maintaining existing Medicaid coverage rules.
Requires health care plans and payors to have a minimum of twelve and one-half percent of their total expenditures on physical and mental health annually be for primary care services.
Establishes a wound care kit and xylazine test strip distribution program to supply wound care kits designed for the treatment of injection-related wounds and skin and soft tissue infections, and xylazine test strips, to individuals with a substance use disorder or who are otherwise at risk of drug use, free of charge; prohibits facilities from collecting personally identifying information on such individuals; prohibits police from targeting individuals receiving wound care kits or xylazine test strips under such program.
S 5860 modernizes New York's chiropractic practice laws by expanding what licensed chiropractors can legally do. The bill allows chiropractors to use diagnostic imaging (like X-rays), provide nutritional counseling, dispense approved supplements, and perform certain soft tissue treatments - previously restricted under older rules. It also authorizes chiropractic clinical assistants to support licensed practitioners under supervision. This directly affects chiropractors and their patients in New York, clarifying scope boundaries without permitting drug prescriptions or surgical procedures. The bill passed the Senate in June 2025 and is now pending in the Assembly's Higher Education committee.
