S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
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10328
I N A S S E M B L Y
May 17, 2024
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Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Lavine) --
read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to treatment of deaf,
hard of hearing and nonverbal individuals during admission to a hospi-
tal
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 2805-r of the public health law, as added by chap-
ter 451 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as follows:
§ 2805-r. Patients unable to HEAR OR verbally communicate. 1. The
department shall make regulations concerning the treatment of general
hospital patients who are unable to HEAR OR verbally communicate, for
whatever reason, with a health care practitioner or aide.
2. Such regulations shall establish standards for a DEAF, HARD OF
HEARING OR NONVERBAL patient to have present during [his or her] THEIR
period of admission a parent, guardian, representative, INTERPRETER or
authorized helper to assist in the communication with health care
personnel. SUCH PERSON SHALL BE PERMITTED TO REMAIN WITH THE PATIENT FOR
INTERPRETATION UNTIL A HOSPITAL-PROVIDED CERTIFIED INTERPRETER, OR OTHER
QUALIFIED PERSON IS ASSIGNED TO THE PATIENT.
3. The standards established under this section shall be incorporated
into the statement of rights and responsibilities adopted pursuant to
paragraph (g) of subdivision one of section twenty-eight hundred three
of this article.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15605-01-4