Healthcare

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 5157: Prohibits co-pays for certain short term opioid drug prescriptions

Prohibits insurance companies from imposing a co-pay pursuant to a follow up visit with a physician in order to receive a refill on an opioid drug prescription which was initially written for seven days or less.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRemoves co-pay barriers for short-term opioid refills, improving patient access to necessary pain management without financial burden.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Substance Abuse

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in committee · New York · Assembly Apr 1, 2025

A 7515: Provides for emergency appropriation for the period April 1, 2025 through April 3, 2025

This bill provides emergency state funding for a three-day period (April 1-3, 2025) to cover essential government operations while awaiting the full 2025-2026 budget. It allocates $279.9 million for state employee payrolls (including prior liabilities), $10 million for operational expenses, $20.65 million for employee benefits, and $1.111 billion for Medicaid programs. The Medicaid allocation includes a spending cap of $33.4 billion for the fiscal year, with adjustments allowed for federal changes or disasters. This is a procedural funding measure, not a policy change, ensuring continuity for state services during budget transition.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $1.41B for essential services (Medicaid, employee pay) during budget gap, ensuring fiscal continuity for critical operations per emergency appropriation.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllocates $1.111B specifically to Medicaid programs, maintaining healthcare funding for beneficiaries during emergency period.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Government Spending State Budget Medicaid

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 5941: Relates to the removal of incarcerated individuals diagnosed with mental illness to a residential mental health treatment unit

This bill requires New York's Department of Corrections to move incarcerated individuals diagnosed with serious mental illness out of segregated confinement or long-term residential rehab units (where confinement might exceed 30 days) into specialized mental health treatment units. It directly affects people in state prisons diagnosed with serious mental illness under specific legal definitions. The key provision mandates this transfer after consultation with mental health clinicians, while still allowing disciplinary hearings to proceed under existing rules. The law does not alter disciplinary processes but changes where certain mentally ill inmates are housed during their incarceration.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill mandates transfer of mentally ill inmates from segregated confinement to mental health treatment units, promoting rehabilitation and aligning with criminal justice reform by prioritizing treatment over punitive confinement.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates transfer to specialized mental health units for incarcerated individuals with serious mental illness, improving access to appropriate treatment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Mental Health

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 5612: Authorizes occupational therapy services to be provided in school to certain students

Authorizes occupational therapy services to be provided in school to students in grades pre-kindergarten through twelve with occupational impairments of a severity that does not adversely affect the student's educational performance but does present a barrier to functioning at home or in the community; directs the commissioner to promulgate rules and regulations for the provision of such occupational therapy services.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAuthorizes school-based occupational therapy services for students with impairments, enhancing student support programs within K-12 education.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAuthorizes school-based occupational therapy services for students with impairments, improving access to healthcare services per topic description.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education

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passed · New York · Senate Jun 2, 2026

S 8545: Relates to newborn screening for Gaucher disease

This bill requires all newborns in New York to be screened for Gaucher disease as part of routine newborn health testing. It directly affects newborns and their families by adding Gaucher disease to the state's mandatory screening panel under public health law. The key provision amends health law to mandate this specific test, ensuring early detection of this rare genetic metabolic disorder at birth.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates newborn screening for Gaucher disease, expanding public health prevention efforts to ensure early detection of rare genetic disorder.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

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passed · New York · Senate Jun 12, 2025

R 1234: Amends a plan setting forth an itemized list of grantees for a certain appropriation for the 2023-2024 fiscal year for services and expenses of human services and veterans community services organizations

This bill amends Senate Resolution R1397 to allow the suballocation or transfer of funds originally appropriated for human services and veterans community services organizations between agencies (like the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and the Department of Veterans' Services). It requires any reallocation plan to include either an itemized list of grantees with specific amounts or a clear methodology for distributing funds. Such plans must be approved by the Senate Temporary President, Budget Director, and a majority vote of all senators via roll call. The bill directly affects community organizations receiving these funds, as it modifies the process for how their grants are allocated and approved.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill enables reallocation of existing funds for human services and veterans' healthcare programs, ensuring transparent distribution to maintain service funding without defunding.85% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill enables flexible fund reallocation for veterans' services organizations with transparency requirements, ensuring continued funding access without defunding.90% confidence

Track

in committee · New York · Assembly Jun 17, 2025

A 8738: Relates to reimbursement rates for certain programs established by not-for-profit and public skilled nursing facilities in upstate New York nursing home regions

Authorizes the commissioner of health to approve certain reimbursement rates for certain programs established by not-for-profit and public skilled nursing facilities in upstate New York nursing home regions that are designed to work collaboratively on efforts to improve nursing home efficiency, staffing, and quality of care.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill authorizes reimbursement rate approvals for nursing facilities to improve staffing, efficiency, and care quality - directly advancing healthcare service delivery in nursing homes.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care

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passed · New York · Senate Jun 9, 2025

S 7451: Prevents a judge from prohibiting a parent from undergoing a gender reassignment when making a determination in a child custody case

This bill (S 7451) prohibits judges from banning parents from undergoing gender-affirming care during child custody decisions. It directly affects parents involved in custody cases by requiring courts to disregard a parent's sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression when determining a child's best interests. The law adds a specific provision to domestic relations law stating courts "shall not prohibit a party from undergoing gender reassignment" and must not consider gender identity factors. If passed, it would prevent courts from restricting a parent's access to medical care related to their gender identity as part of custody rulings. The bill is currently in the Assembly Judiciary committee after passing the Senate.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcarePrevents courts from restricting gender-affirming healthcare access in custody cases, protecting patient rights for gender-affirming care as a healthcare service.95% confidence

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 6938: Exempts certain paratransit eligible individuals from recertification requirements

Allows for paratransit eligible for paratransit eligible individuals who are at least eighty years old, to be required only to present correspondence from a licensed physician, dated within the preceding thirty days, indicating that the paratransit service is still necessary for the individual to make a single application for paratransit services; provides that once approved, such individuals shall be exempt from all certification requirements.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExempts elderly paratransit users from frequent recertification, reducing barriers to medical transportation access - aligns with improving patient access to healthcare services.85% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationExempts elderly paratransit users from recertification, easing access to public transit services, aligning with support for accessible transportation.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Driver Licensing

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 2441: Establishes the community development financial institution disability housing program within the New York state urban development corporation

This bill establishes a new program within New York State's Urban Development Corporation to fund housing for people with developmental and mental disabilities. It allocates up to $25 million from the existing Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) fund to finance supportive and supervised living facilities through CDFIs. The program requires collaboration with state mental health and disability services offices to develop rules and prioritize housing development. This creates a dedicated funding mechanism for housing providers, directly affecting individuals seeking specialized housing options in New York.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds housing for mental disabilities via CDFI, requiring mental health collaboration to support patient housing stability and access.92% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill allocates $25M from CDFI fund to finance supportive housing for people with disabilities, directly funding housing development for vulnerable populations.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Community Development Property Development

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