S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8435
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 16, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. FORREST, WOERNER, SANTABARBARA, TAYLOR, ROSEN-
   THAL, BRABENEC, HEVESI, BRAUNSTEIN, REYES, BUTTENSCHON, SAYEGH -- read
   once and referred to the Committee on Health
 
 AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to the employment  of
   persons  to  function  as  infection preventionists in certain general
   hospitals

   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 section
 2832 to read as follows:
   § 2832. INFECTION PREVENTIONISTS. 1. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION,
 THE TERMS:
   (A) "INFECTION PREVENTIONIST" SHALL MEAN  A  PERSON  DESIGNATED  BY  A
 GENERAL  HOSPITAL  TO  IDENTIFY  INFECTIOUS  DISEASE  PROCESSES, CONDUCT
 SURVEILLANCE AND EPIDEMIOLOGIC  INVESTIGATIONS,  AND  DEVELOP  PLANS  TO
 PREVENT AND CONTROL THE TRANSMISSION OF INFECTIOUS AGENTS WITHIN GENERAL
 HOSPITALS.
   (B)  "PROFESSIONAL" SHALL MEAN A PERSON LICENSED OR CERTIFIED PURSUANT
 TO TITLE EIGHT OF THE EDUCATION LAW.
   2. A PERSON SHALL NOT FUNCTION AS  AN  INFECTION  PREVENTIONIST  IN  A
 GENERAL  HOSPITAL  AND  A GENERAL HOSPITAL SHALL NOT EMPLOY OR OTHERWISE
 CONTRACT FOR THE SERVICES OF  AN  INFECTION  PREVENTIONIST  UNLESS  SUCH
 PERSON MEETS ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:
   (A)  (I)  HAS SUCCESSFULLY PASSED AN EXAM FROM A NATIONALLY ACCREDITED
 INFECTION PREVENTION AND EPIDEMIOLOGY ACCREDITING ORGANIZATION; AND (II)
 HOLDS AND MAINTAINS CERTIFICATION IN INFECTION  PREVENTION  AND  CONTROL
 FROM  A  NATIONALLY  ACCREDITED  INFECTION  PREVENTION  AND EPIDEMIOLOGY
 CERTIFICATION ORGANIZATION; OR
   (B) PROVIDES EVIDENCE THAT  SUCH  PERSON  WAS  EMPLOYED  OR  OTHERWISE
 CONTRACTED  FOR  THE SERVICES AS AN INFECTION PREVENTIONIST IN A GENERAL
 HOSPITAL FOR A CUMULATIVE PERIOD OF  ONE  YEAR,  OCCURRING  WITHIN  FOUR
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11240-01-5
              

 A. 8435                             2
 
 YEARS IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION. IN FURTH-
 ERANCE  OF  THIS  PARAGRAPH, ANY CONTRACTOR OR EMPLOYER OF PERSONS FUNC-
 TIONING AS AN INFECTION PREVENTIONIST ON  THE  EFFECTIVE  DATE  OF  THIS
 SECTION  SHALL  CONFIRM  IN WRITING TO EACH EMPLOYEE OR CONTRACTOR THEIR
 EMPLOYMENT IN A CAPACITY FUNCTIONING AS AN INFECTION PREVENTIONIST IN  A
 GENERAL HOSPITAL AS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION; OR
   (C)  IS  A  STUDENT OR INTERN PERFORMING THE FUNCTIONS OF AN INFECTION
 PREVENTIONIST IF SUCH STUDENT OR INTERN IS UNDER THE DIRECT  SUPERVISION
 OF AN APPROPRIATELY CERTIFIED INFECTION PREVENTIONIST AND IS FUNCTIONING
 WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE STUDENT'S OR INTERN'S TRAINING.
   3.  AN  INFECTION  PREVENTIONIST WHO DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF
 PARAGRAPH (B) OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION SHALL  HAVE  THIRTY-SIX
 MONTHS  FROM  THE  DATE  OF  HIRE  TO OBTAIN THE INFECTION PREVENTIONIST
 CREDENTIAL OUTLINED IN PARAGRAPH (A) OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION.
   4. A GENERAL HOSPITAL MAY EMPLOY OR OTHERWISE CONTRACT WITH  A  PERSON
 WHO DOES NOT MEET THE CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS REQUIRED ABOVE TO FUNC-
 TION AS AN INFECTION PREVENTIONIST IN A GENERAL HOSPITAL IF:
   (A) AFTER A DILIGENT AND THOROUGH EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE, IF SUCH GENER-
 AL  HOSPITAL IS UNABLE TO EMPLOY OR CONTRACT WITH A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF
 QUALIFIED INFECTION PREVENTIONISTS WHO MEET  THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF  THIS
 SECTION;
   (B)  SUCH  GENERAL  HOSPITAL MAKES A WRITTEN RECORD OF ITS EFFORTS AND
 RETAINS SUCH RECORD AT THE GENERAL HOSPITAL; AND
   (C) THE PERSON OBTAINS A CREDENTIAL AS OUTLINED IN  PARAGRAPH  (A)  OF
 SUBDIVISION  TWO  OF  THIS  SECTION,  WITHIN THREE YEARS OF THE START OF
 EMPLOYMENT OR CONTRACTING FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF  INFECTION  PREVENTION-
 ISTS DUTIES.
   5.  A  GENERAL  HOSPITAL  THAT  EMPLOYS OR CONTRACTS WITH AN INFECTION
 PREVENTIONIST SHALL, UPON REQUEST OF ANOTHER GENERAL HOSPITAL,  OR  UPON
 REQUEST  OF AN INFECTION PREVENTIONIST EMPLOYED BY, FORMERLY EMPLOYED BY
 OR CONTRACTED TO PERFORM AS AN INFECTION PREVENTIONIST AT  SUCH  GENERAL
 HOSPITAL, VERIFY THE DATES OF EMPLOYMENT OR CONTRACT OF SUCH PERSON.
   6.  NOTHING  IN  THIS  SECTION  SHALL  PROHIBIT  ANY PROFESSIONAL FROM
 PERFORMING AN INFECTION  PREVENTIONISTS'  TASKS  OR  FUNCTIONS  IF  SUCH
 PERSON  IS  ACTING  WITHIN  THE SCOPE OF THEIR PRACTICE. NOTHING IN THIS
 SECTION SHALL AUTHORIZE ANY INDIVIDUAL NOT LICENSED  PURSUANT  TO  TITLE
 EIGHT  OF  THE  EDUCATION  LAW  TO PERFORM TASKS OR FUNCTIONS WITHIN THE
 SCOPE OF PRACTICE OF A PROFESSIONAL UNDER SUCH TITLE.
   7. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROMULGATE  REGULATIONS  AS  THEY  MAY  DEEM
 APPROPRIATE TO EFFECTUATE THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION.
   §  2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
 ing the date upon which it shall have become a law.