NY State Senate Bill S6223

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Health Committee

Introduced
In Committee
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- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
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Actions

view actions (2)

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 08, 2020	referred to health
May 24, 2019	referred to health

Co-Sponsors

S6223 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A7589
Current Committee:: Senate Health
Law Section:: Health
Versions Introduced in 2021-2022 Legislative Session:: S2534, A1880

S6223 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires home health aides and nurse's aides to receive training in working with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals as part of the education and training for certification; directs the commissioner of health to develop curriculum in accordance with specified information.

S6223 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

 
BILL NUMBER: S6223

SPONSOR: RIVERA
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act relating to requiring home health aides and
nurse's aides to receive training in working with lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender individuals

 
PURPOSE:

To require the Department of Health to add a "working with LGBT individ-
uals" module to the Home Care Curriculum and the Nurse Aide Training
Program to help ensure that LGBT individuals of all ages get better,
more culturally competent care.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 requires that the Commissioner of Health, in consultation with
the Commissioner of Education, shall develop a training program that
focuses on working with LGBT individuals as part of the state approved
education or training programs required for certification of home health
aides, personal care aides, personal care staff, and certified nurse's

aides.

Section 2 sets the requirements of the training program which include
but are not limited to (1) an explanation of the terms lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender, (2) a understanding of why LGBT individuals
may hide their identity, (3) incorporate LGBT concerns into person-di-
rected care, so that each individual can make the best decisions for
their own situation, (4) specific information designed for staff working
in nursing care or other residential care settings, (5) unique needs of
LGBT individuals and older adults, (6) an overview of the various rights
and protections extended to LGBT individuals, (7) best practices for
creating communities welcoming to LGBT individuals including older
adults, their loved ones, and their caregivers, (8) practical tips from
experts about how to ask questions related to sexual orientation and
gender identity and understand why these questions are important for all
service organizations, (9) the nuances of asking questions related to
sexual orientation and gender identity to LGBT individuals, (10) how to
respectfully respond to questions and concerns that arise in these
conversations, (11) best practices for providing transgender affirming
care.

Sections 3 requires that the training unit be developed within six
months of the effective date of this bill and shall be required for all
certifications and re-certifications of home health aides, personal care
aides, personal care staff, and certified nurse's aides.

Section 4 sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

A visit to a health care facility can make someone uncomfortable for a
variety of reasons. This is especially the case for many LGBT individ-
uals who may have difficulty finding health care where they feel
included and accepted. A 2017 CAP survey provided evidence that LGBT
individuals experience discrimination in healthcare settings.  Some
people have reported being refused care because of their sexual orien-
tation or gender identity. These issues extend beyond the patients them-

selves. Family members, partners and other loved ones have reported
being refused recognition by healthcare providers.

In many other cases, staff who did not intend any harm can cause prob-
lems from simple mistakes that occur due to lack of understanding or
experience interacting with LGBT individuals. Many LGBT individuals have
unique life experiences that require different practices.  Under current
law, there is no training that specifically addresses the needs of LGBT
patients. The training that this bill requires would help bridge this
gap between home health aides, personal care aides, personal care staff,
and certified nurse's aides who want to provide adequate care and LGBT
patients of all ages.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

S6223 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf


                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  6223

                       2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              May 24, 2019
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sens. RIVERA, HOYLMAN -- read twice and ordered printed,
  and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health

AN ACT relating to requiring home health  aides  and  nurse's  aides  to
  receive  training in working with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgen-
  der individuals

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  The  commissioner  of  health,  in  consultation with the
commissioner of education, shall develop a training program  unit  which
focuses  on  working  with  lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender popu-
lations, as part of the state approved education  or  training  programs
required  for  certification  of home health aides, personal care aides,
personal care staff, and certified nurse's aides.
  § 2. The training program unit required by this act should include the
following components and information:
  (a) an explanation of the terms lesbian, gay, bisexual, and  transgen-
der (LGBT);
  (b) an understanding of why LGBT individuals may hide their identity;
  (c)  incorporate LGBT concerns into person-directed care, so that each
individual can make the best decisions for their own situation;
  (d) specific information designed for staff working in nursing care or
other residential care settings;
  (e) unique needs of LGBT individuals, including older adults;
  (f) an overview of the various rights and protections extended to LGBT
individuals;
  (g) best practices for creating communities welcoming to LGBT individ-
uals including older adults, their loved ones, and their caregivers;
  (h) practical tips from experts about how to ask questions related  to
sexual  orientation  and  gender identity and understand why these ques-
tions are important for all service organizations;

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD11270-01-9

S. 6223                             2

  (i) teach the nuances of asking questions  related  to  sexual  orien-
tation and gender identity to LGBT individuals, including older adults;
  (j)  how  to respectfully respond to questions and concerns that arise
in conversations relating to sexual orientation and gender identity; and
  (k) best practices for providing transgender affirming care.
  § 3. The training unit required by this act shall be developed  within
six  months  of the effective date of this act and shall be required for
all certifications and re-certifications of home health aides,  personal
care  aides,  personal care staff, and certified nurse's aides issued on
and after such six month date.
  § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

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The New York State Senate

senate Bill S6223

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Health Committee

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Co-Sponsors

S6223 (ACTIVE) - Details

S6223 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S6223 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S6223 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

senate Bill S6223

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Sponsored By

Gustavo Rivera

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Health Committee

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Actions

Co-Sponsors

Brad Hoylman-Sigal

S6223 (ACTIVE) - Details

S6223 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S6223 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S6223 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments