S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
9170
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
October 17, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the public health law and the education law, in relation
to requiring course work or training in menopausal health for certain
professions
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
267-c to read as follows:
§ 267-C. COURSE WORK OR TRAINING IN MENOPAUSAL HEALTH. (A) EVERY
PHYSICIAN, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT AND SPECIALIST ASSISTANT PRACTICING IN
THE STATE SHALL, ON OR BEFORE JULY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX AND
EVERY FOUR YEARS THEREAFTER, COMPLETE COURSE WORK OR TRAINING, APPROPRI-
ATE TO THE PROFESSIONAL'S PRACTICE, APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT REGARDING
MENOPAUSAL HEALTH, INCLUDING THE STAGES OF PERIMENOPAUSE, MENOPAUSE AND
POSTMENOPAUSE, THE COMMON SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS, OPTIONS FOR TREATMENT AND
MANAGEMENT AND THE POTENTIAL IMPACT ON THE PATIENT'S MENTAL HEALTH.
SUCH COURSE WORK OR TRAINING MUST ALSO BE COMPLETED BY EVERY MEDICAL
STUDENT, MEDICAL RESIDENT AND PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDENT IN THE STATE
AS PART OF THE ORIENTATION PROGRAMS CONDUCTED BY MEDICAL SCHOOLS,
MEDICAL RESIDENCY PROGRAMS AND PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PROGRAMS.
(B) EVERY PHYSICIAN, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT, SPECIALIST ASSISTANT,
MEDICAL STUDENT, MEDICAL RESIDENT AND PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDENT MUST
PROVIDE TO THE DEPARTMENT DOCUMENTATION DEMONSTRATING THE COMPLETION OF
AND COMPETENCE IN THE COURSE WORK OR TRAINING REQUIRED UNDER SUBDIVISION
(A) OF THIS SECTION.
(C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE AN EXEMPTION FROM THE REQUIREMENTS
IMPOSED BY SUBDIVISION (A) OF THIS SECTION TO ANYONE WHO REQUESTS SUCH
AN EXEMPTION AND WHO (I) CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES TO THE DEPARTMENT'S SATIS-
FACTION THAT THERE WOULD BE NO NEED FOR SUCH PERSON TO COMPLETE SUCH
COURSE WORK OR TRAINING BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THEIR PRACTICE OR (II)
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07615-03-5
A. 9170 2
THAT SUCH PERSON HAS COMPLETED COURSE WORK OR TRAINING DEEMED BY THE
DEPARTMENT TO BE EQUIVALENT TO THE STANDARDS FOR COURSE WORK OR TRAINING
APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION. AN INDIVIDUAL
GRANTED AN EXEMPTION MUST REAPPLY TO CONTINUE SUCH EXEMPTION EVERY FOUR
YEARS.
§ 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 6505-f to
read as follows:
§ 6505-F. COURSE WORK OR TRAINING IN MENOPAUSAL HEALTH. EVERY REGIS-
TERED NURSE PRACTICING IN THE STATE SHALL, ON OR BEFORE JULY FIRST, TWO
THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX AND EVERY FOUR YEARS THEREAFTER, COMPLETE COURSE
WORK OR TRAINING APPROPRIATE TO THE PROFESSIONAL'S PRACTICE APPROVED BY
THE DEPARTMENT REGARDING MENOPAUSAL HEALTH IN ACCORDANCE WITH REGULATORY
STANDARDS PROMULGATED BY THE DEPARTMENT, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, WHICH SHALL BE CONSISTENT, AS FAR AS APPROPRIATE,
WITH SUCH STANDARDS ADOPTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PURSUANT TO
SECTION TWO HUNDRED SIXTY-SEVEN-C OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW. THE DEPART-
MENT SHALL PROVIDE AN EXEMPTION FROM THIS REQUIREMENT TO ANYONE WHO
REQUESTS SUCH AN EXEMPTION AND WHO (I) CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES TO THE
DEPARTMENT'S SATISFACTION THAT THERE WOULD BE NO NEED FOR SUCH PERSON TO
COMPLETE SUCH COURSE WORK OR TRAINING BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THEIR
PRACTICE OR (II) THAT SUCH PERSON HAS COMPLETED COURSE WORK OR TRAINING
DEEMED BY THE DEPARTMENT TO BE EQUIVALENT TO THE COURSE WORK OR TRAINING
APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION. THE DEPARTMENT
SHALL CONSULT WITH ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTATIVE OF PROFESSIONS, INSTI-
TUTIONS AND THOSE WITH EXPERTISE IN MENOPAUSAL HEALTH WITH RESPECT TO
THE REGULATORY STANDARDS PROMULGATED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
§ 3. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 3 of section 7710 of the education
law, as added by chapter 443 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as
follows:
(b) For purposes of this section "acceptable formal education" shall
mean formal courses of learning which contribute to professional prac-
tice in social work and which meet the standards prescribed by regu-
lations of the commissioner. Such formal courses of learning shall
include, but not be limited to, collegiate level credit and non-credit
courses, professional development programs and technical sessions
offered by national, state and local professional associations and other
organizations acceptable to the department, and any other organized
educational and technical programs acceptable to the department.
Continuing education courses must be taken from a provider who has been
approved by the department, based upon an application and fee, pursuant
to the regulations of the commissioner. The department may, in its
discretion and as needed to contribute to the health and welfare of the
public, require the completion of continuing education courses in
specific subjects to fulfill this mandatory continuing education
requirement, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO MENOPAUSAL HEALTH. Licensed
master social workers or licensed clinical social workers shall maintain
adequate documentation of completion of acceptable formal continuing
education and shall provide such documentation at the request of the
department. Failure to provide such documentation upon the request of
the department shall be an act of misconduct subject to disciplinary
proceedings pursuant to section sixty-five hundred ten of this title.
§ 4. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 3 of section 8412 of the education
law, as added by chapter 486 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as
follows:
(b) For purposes of this section "acceptable formal education" shall
mean formal courses of learning which contribute to professional prac-
A. 9170 3
tice in mental health counseling, marriage and family therapy, psycho-
analysis, or creative arts therapies and which meet the standards
prescribed by regulations of the commissioner. Such formal courses of
learning shall include, but not be limited to, collegiate level credit
and non-credit courses, professional development programs and technical
sessions offered by national, state and local professional associations
and other organizations acceptable to the department, and any other
organized educational and technical programs acceptable to the depart-
ment. Continuing education courses must be taken from a provider who has
been approved by the department, based upon an application and fee,
pursuant to the regulations of the commissioner. The department may, in
its discretion and as needed to contribute to the health and welfare of
the public, require the completion of continuing education courses in
specific subjects to fulfill this mandatory continuing education
requirement, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO MENOPAUSAL HEALTH. Licensed
mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychoana-
lysts, and creative arts therapists shall maintain adequate documenta-
tion of completion of acceptable formal continuing education and shall
provide such documentation at the request of the department. Failure to
provide such documentation upon the request of the department shall be
an act of misconduct subject to disciplinary proceedings pursuant to
section sixty-five hundred ten of this title.
§ 5. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 3 of section 7607 of the education
law, as added by chapter 436 of the laws of 2018, is amended to read as
follows:
(c) The department may, in its discretion and as needed to contribute
to the health and welfare of the public, require the completion of
continuing education credits in specific subjects to fulfill this manda-
tory continuing education requirement, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
MENOPAUSAL HEALTH.
§ 6. This act shall take effect immediately.