S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1043
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 13, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. JACOBSON, MAGNARELLI -- read once and referred to
   the Committee on Health
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  public health law, in relation to requiring the
   department of health to develop rules for all courts in New York state
   to protect the court employees and the public from COVID-19
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivision  1 of section 201 of the public health law is
 amended by adding a new paragraph (z) to read as follows:
   (Z) DEVELOP RULES, STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES FOR MEASURES TO BE  IMPLE-
 MENTED  AT  EVERY  COURT IN THE STATE TO PROTECT THE COURT EMPLOYEES AND
 THE PUBLIC FROM THE SPREAD OF THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS  (COVID-19)  INCLUD-
 ING,  BUT NOT LIMITED TO: (I) PROTECTIVE BARRIERS TO BE INSTALLED AT THE
 JUDGE'S BENCH, THE WITNESS STAND, THE JURY BOX AND SUCH OTHER  LOCATIONS
 AS  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL  DEEM  NECESSARY;  (II)  STANDARDS FOR SOCIAL
 DISTANCING AND THE WEARING OF FACE COVERINGS BY COURT EMPLOYEES  AND  BY
 MEMBERS  OF  THE  PUBLIC PARTICIPATING IN OR WATCHING COURT PROCEEDINGS;
 (III) TESTING OF ALL COURT EMPLOYEES AFTER IT IS DISCOVERED THAT A COURT
 EMPLOYEE OR MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC AT THE COURT FACILITY HAS TESTED  POSI-
 TIVE  FOR COVID-19; (IV) QUARANTINE OF ANY COURT EMPLOYEE WHO HAS TESTED
 POSITIVE AND THE REQUIREMENT THAT SAID INFECTED EMPLOYEE PRODUCE A NEGA-
 TIVE TEST RESULT BEFORE BEING ALLOWED TO RETURN TO WORK;  AND  (V)  SUCH
 OTHER MEASURES AS THE DEPARTMENT MAY DEEM NECESSARY OR DESIRABLE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03669-01-3