Provides incarcerated individuals with access to breast cancer screening and diagnostic testing in accordance with certain nationally recognized clinical practice guidelines.
This bill requires licensed cosmetologists and barbers to complete an 8-hour mental health first aid training course before obtaining or renewing their licenses. The training teaches professionals to recognize symptoms of mental health crises (like anxiety or depression), safely de-escalate situations, and refer clients to community resources. It directly affects all beauty professionals who interact with the public daily, mandating certification valid for the duration of their license. The law aims to promote public safety by equipping these frontline workers with skills to address mental health needs and reduce related risks.
Sets minimum staffing standards for employees performing emergency medical services in the 911 system in a city with a population of over one million people.
Tags
Public Safety
Establishes training and registration requirements for patient care technicians; requires training programs to be conducted by hospitals, residential health care facilities, home care services agencies, degree and non-degree granting institutions of higher education, or any other entity approved by the commissioner to conduct such a program; provides such training shall include, but not be limited to an overview of the roles and responsibilities of patient care technicians in hospitals, residential care facilities and the home care environment, an overview of various patient care services provided in hospitals, residential care facilities and the home care environment, and the legal scope of practice for patient care technicians; defines terms.
Provides that where an employer or insurance carrier elects to controvert the right to compensation and such claimant holds a valid insurance policy, the employer or insurance carrier shall provide medical treatment to the injured claimant and payment to health care providers without regard to such controversy.
Directs counties, in coordination with their regional emergency medical services councils, to develop and maintain comprehensive county emergency medical system plans that provide for coordinated emergency medical systems within such counties.
This bill increases monthly personal needs allowances for residents in specific care facilities. It raises the amount from $55 to $140 per month for residents of residential health care facilities (like nursing homes), and from $35 to $89 per month for residents of developmental disability or mental health facilities. Veterans with reduced VA pensions in nursing homes will receive allowances matching their pension amount (capped at $196/month). These changes apply to individuals eligible for federal Supplemental Security Income or state payments, effective January 2027.
Requires pharmacies to provide prescription drug readers or other means of access to individuals who disclose they have difficulty seeing or reading standard print labels on prescription drug containers; defines "prescription drug reader" to mean a device which is capable of audibly conveying information contained on the label of a prescription drug; makes exceptions.
Provides that organ donation registrations through an electronic health record product do not retain or store patients' donor status information and meet standards established by the commissioner; amends the effective date.
This bill requires New York health insurance plans covering prescription drugs to include coverage for at least two epinephrine auto-injectors for emergency treatment of severe allergic reactions. It caps out-of-pocket costs for these devices at $100 annually, regardless of the plan's deductible, coinsurance, or other cost-sharing rules. The law applies to all major medical, group, and similar health insurance policies sold in New York, including health savings account-qualified plans, with specific provisions to maintain federal eligibility for preventive care coverage. It ensures individuals face a predictable maximum cost for these life-saving devices. The bill was signed into law on February 14, 2025.
