S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
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1859
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
February 9, 2009
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Introduced by Sen. KLEIN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing an
electronic health records and electronic prescribing initiative; and
providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new article 10
to read as follows:
ARTICLE 10
ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS AND ELECTRONIC PRESCRIBING
SECTION 1000. ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS AND ELECTRONIC PRESCRIBING
INITIATIVE PROGRAM.
S 1000. ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS AND ELECTRONIC PRESCRIBING INITI-
ATIVE PROGRAM. 1. DEFINITIONS. AS USED IN THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING
TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS: (A) ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS
(EHR) IS A LONGITUDINAL ELECTRONIC RECORD OF PATIENT HEALTH INFORMATION
GENERATED BY ONE OR MORE ENCOUNTERS IN ANY CARE DELIVERY SETTING.
(B) ELECTRONIC PRESCRIBING (E-PRESCRIBING) IS A COMPUTER BASED METHOD
TO GENERATE PRESCRIPTIONS THROUGH AN AUTOMATED DATA ENTRY PROCESS
UTILIZING E-PRESCRIBING SOFTWARE AND A TRANSMISSION NETWORK WHICH LINKS
TO PARTICIPATING PHARMACIES.
2. CREATION OF PROGRAM. THE OFFICE OF HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
TRANSFORMATION IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO ESTABLISH AND ADMINISTER AN ELEC-
TRONIC HEALTH RECORDS AND PRESCRIBING PROGRAM TO PROVIDE INCENTIVES FOR
THE USE OF ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGIES BY OFFICE-BASED PHYSICIANS AND INDE-
PENDENT PHARMACIES, PURSUANT TO STANDARDS AND CRITERIA ESTABLISHED BY
THE OFFICE. SUCH GRANT PROGRAM SHALL BE ALLOCATED FIVE MILLION DOLLARS
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05261-01-9
S. 1859 2
IN ITS FIRST YEAR OF EXISTENCE AND SHALL BE FUNDED AS APPROPRIATED IN
THE STATE BUDGET FOR EACH SUBSEQUENT YEAR.
3. INCENTIVE PAYMENTS. (A) AS PART OF THE ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS
AND PRESCRIBING INITIATIVE PROGRAM CREATED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, THE
OFFICE OF HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMATION IS AUTHORIZED TO
PROVIDE FOR AND AWARD INCENTIVE PAYMENTS TO QUALIFIED OFFICE-BASED
PHYSICIANS AND QUALIFIED INDEPENDENT PHARMACIES THAT THE OFFICE DETER-
MINES HAVE ESTABLISHED AN ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS AND PRESCRIBING
SYSTEM WHICH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS: (I) AN UPGRADED OR NEWLY
PURCHASED HARDWARE AND/OR SOFTWARE; (II) AN INTERNET CONNECTION; (III)
SYNCHRONIZATION OF EXISTING COMPUTER SYSTEMS; (IV) STAFF TRAINING; (V)
MAINTENANCE OF COMPUTER SYSTEMS; AND (VI) SATISFACTION OF ANY STANDARDS
AND CRITERIA AS ESTABLISHED BY THE OFFICE PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
(B) IN DETERMINING THE AMOUNT OF AN INCENTIVE PAYMENT, THE OFFICE OF
HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMATION, SHALL SUPPLEMENT THE TOTAL
COST OF ESTABLISHING AN ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS OR PRESCRIBING SYSTEM
AND WILL NOT REIMBURSE A QUALIFIED RECIPIENT FOR THE ENTIRE COST OF SUCH
SYSTEM. THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE GRANT AWARDED WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE
OFFICE OF HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMATION PURSUANT TO THIS
SECTION.
(C) GRANT MONIES MUST BE PAID OUT IN STAGES WITH PAYMENTS AWARDED UPON
THE COMPLETION OF CERTAIN INTERVALS AS DETERMINED BY THE OFFICE OF
HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMATION. THESE INTERVALS SHALL
INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, THE ACQUISITION OF HARDWARE AND/OR
SOFTWARE, ACTIVATION OF ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS AND PRESCRIBING
PROGRAMS AND ACHIEVING MILESTONES FOR THE USAGE OF THE PROGRAM, AS
DETERMINED BY THE OFFICE PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
4. REGULATIONS. THE OFFICE OF HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TRANSFOR-
MATION SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE STANDARDS AND/OR
CRITERIA OF ANY ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS OR PRESCRIBING SYSTEM ESTAB-
LISHED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ELIGIBIL-
ITY CRITERIA, APPLICATION PROCEDURES, AWARD DETERMINATIONS, TRAINING
REQUIREMENTS, THE MANNER IN WHICH GRANT MONIES SHALL BE APPLIED AND
DISTRIBUTED, INSPECTION PROCEDURES, DOCUMENTATION AND COMPLIANCE
REQUIREMENTS AND THE MANNER IN WHICH GRANT MONIES SHALL BE AWARDED FOR
THE PURPOSES OF THE PROGRAM.
5. REPORTING. NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TEN AND
SEPTEMBER FIRST OF EACH YEAR THEREAFTER, THE PRESIDENT SHALL PREPARE AND
FURNISH A WRITTEN REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE
SENATE, AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY CONCERNING THE OFFICE OF HEALTH
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMATION'S ACTIVITIES UNDER THIS SECTION.
SUCH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE, BUT SHALL NOT BE LIMITED TO: (A) THE NAME AND
ADDRESS OF EACH RECIPIENT OF INCENTIVE PAYMENTS MADE BY THE OFFICE OF
HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMATION PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION
DURING THE PRECEDING CALENDAR YEAR;
(B) THE AMOUNT OF ANY INCENTIVE PAYMENT MADE TO EACH SUCH PHYSICIAN OR
PHARMACY; AND
(C) A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT AND THE WORK PERFORMED THAT EARNED
THE INCENTIVE PAYMENT.
S 2. Severability. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section or part
of this act shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to
be invalid and after exhaustion of all further judicial review, the
judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remainder thereof,
but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, para-
graph, section or part of this act directly involved in the controversy
in which the judgement shall have been rendered.
S. 1859 3
S 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
deemed repealed 4 years after such date. Effective immediately, any
rules and regulations necessary for the timely implementation of this
act on its effective date shall be promulgated on or before such date.