Sen. Cordell Cleare

Authorizes the office for the aging to establish, operate and maintain programs for transportation services, or to contract with counties, cities, towns, villages, school districts or public or private nonprofit corporations, associations, institutions, or agencies concerned with the aging, for the operation and maintenance of such programs.

Relates to the purchase of claims by corporations or collection agencies; relates to the inference of an assignee's intent and purpose in taking an assignment of a claim against an obligor that is not an eligible obligor.

Maddy summarySenate Bill S 7859 authorizes certain existing assisted living programs to add up to nine new beds through an expedited approval process. These additional beds must be dedicated to serving individuals who receive medical assistance. To be eligible, programs must be in good standing with the Department of Health and comply with state and local requirements. The bill sets specific application periods for providers licensed by various dates up to April 1, 2024, and mandates that the Commissioner of Health certify additional beds within 90 days of receiving a satisfactory application.

Maddy summaryThis bill bans the sale of medical bandages and adhesives containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in New York after December 31, 2026. It directly affects manufacturers and sellers of these medical products, requiring them to ensure PFAS is not intentionally added or present above a feasible low level (to be set by the state). Manufacturers must provide written compliance certificates, and violations carry daily penalties up to $2,500 for repeated offenses. The law excludes FDA-regulated medical devices from this requirement.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 4692 requires all private colleges and universities in the state to provide menstrual products. These products must be made available in the restrooms of their school buildings. The bill specifies that these items must be offered at no charge to students. This legislation directly affects private higher education institutions, which must supply the products, and benefits their students by ensuring free access to them.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New York's health department to create and maintain an ongoing public education program about Legionnaires' disease, a type of lung infection. The program must provide clear information on symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment through printed materials for healthcare providers to share with patients, plus updated content on the department's website. The health department must regularly review and update this information and report every three years to state leaders on the program's progress. The program applies directly to the state health department, healthcare providers distributing materials, and the public seeking information about Legionnaires' disease.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires most large employer-sponsored health insurance plans in New York to cover acupuncture services when prescribed by a qualified healthcare provider. Specifically, it mandates that plans covering physician office services or major medical coverage must include acupuncture treatment (as defined by law) without denying coverage based on the provider's scope of practice. Plans may still apply standard cost-sharing rules like deductibles, co-pays, or benefit limits for these services. The law directly affects health insurers and employers offering large group health plans, effective 90 days after enactment.

Provides for enrollment of eligible incarcerated persons in the medical assistance for needy persons program; provides for enrollment of incarcerated individuals in other medical assistance programs, where eligible.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows social services workers, including those in child welfare, to complete required training courses using remote or distance learning methods instead of attending in-person classes. It authorizes counties to adopt local rules permitting this remote format for most training requirements, provided the online courses verify that participants are present and can interact with instructors. The change applies to prospective and current personnel involved in foster care, adoption, and preventive services, effective immediately upon passage.

Allows parents of a child who has ever received services through an English as a second language program to serve as a member of the citywide council on English language learners and of the citywide council on high schools even if the child is no longer enrolled.