NY State Senate Bill 2019-S8161

Senate Bill S8161

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Directs the commissioner of health to conduct a study relating to the number of emergency room beds

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Health Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

Please enter your contact information

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

A valid email address is required.

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Apr 13, 2020	referred to health

2019-S8161 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Health
Law Section:: Health, Commissioner of

2019-S8161 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the commissioner of health to conduct a study relating to the number of emergency room beds in the state and to make recommendations on the minimum number of emergency rooms required per capita and the maximum distance patients shall be expected to travel to access emergency room services.

2019-S8161 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S8161

SPONSOR: RAMOS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act in relation to requiring the commissioner of health to conduct a
study relating to the number of emergency room beds

 
PURPOSE OF BILL:

To determine and establish the number of emergency beds required per
capita, the maximum distance patients shall be expected to travel to
access emergency services, and other such relevant information.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill directs the commissioner of health to study the
number of emergency room beds in the state and establish the minimum
number of beds required. The study will also assess the distance
patients need to travel to access emergency room services. From these
findings, the commissioner shall make recommendations ranging from the

number of emergency room beds required per capita to the maximum
distance patients shall be expected to travel to access emergency
services. A report based on this study shall be submitted to the Gover-
nor, the Temporary President of the Senate, the Speaker of the Assembly
and Chairs of the Senate and Assembly standing committees on health no
later than December 31, 2020.

Section 2 relates to the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Accessing quality health care should not be a burden. Yet, many New
Yorkers faced with a medical emergency may find it difficult to receive
adequate care. Overcrowded emergency departments resulting from too few
beds may cause patients to wait far longer than what is appropriate.

Also, a hospital's proximity can be an issue for patients who must trav-
el great lengths to access those services. In situations as serious and
as time-sensitive as a medical emergency, distance and wait times should
not be of concern. The availability of emergency room beds are bound to
worsen as New York's population ages and hospitals continue to close.

Aside from keeping us better informed, a report by the commissioner of
health would serve as a first step to addressing this pressing health
issue.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATION:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2019-S8161 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8161
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 13, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  RAMOS  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
 
 AN ACT in relation to requiring the commissioner of health to conduct  a
   study relating to the number of emergency room beds
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. (a) The commissioner of health  is  hereby  authorized  and
 directed  to study the number of emergency room beds in the state and to
 establish minimum numbers of beds required.
   (b) The study shall include, but not be limited to: the current number
 of emergency room beds in the state; the  minimum  number  of  emergency
 room  beds  required  to  adequately  meet  the  needs  of patients; the
 distance patients need to travel  to  access  emergency  room  services,
 including  the  maximum distance patients shall be expected to travel to
 access such services; and the number of emergency rooms within a specif-
 ic area. The study shall also take into consideration population  densi-
 ty,  travel time to emergency rooms, proximity to other emergency rooms,
 public transportation routes, and such other  factors  the  commissioner
 deems appropriate.
   (c)  The  commissioner of health shall make recommendations based upon
 the findings of such study relating to, but not limited to, the  minimum
 number  of  emergency  room beds which shall be required per capita, the
 maximum distance patients shall be expected to travel to access emergen-
 cy room services, and such other recommendations such commissioner deems
 appropriate.
   (d) The commissioner of health shall submit a report including  recom-
 mendations  and findings based on this study to the governor, the tempo-
 rary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly and the chairs
 of the senate and assembly standing committees on health no  later  than
 December 31, 2020.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09374-02-0

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.