NY State Senate Bill 2025-S6223A

Senate Bill S6223A

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to permitting an interpreter to remain with a deaf, hard of hearing or nonverbal patient during admission to a hospital

download bill text pdf

Current 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

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Mar 28, 2025	print number 6223a
Mar 28, 2025	amend and recommit to health
Mar 06, 2025	referred to health

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

2025-S6223 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A3404
Current Committee:: Senate Health
Law Section:: Public Health Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §2805-r, Pub Health L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: A10328

2025-S6223 - Summary

Requires hospitals to permit an interpreter to remain with a deaf, hard of hearing or nonverbal patient during admission to a hospital until appropriate hospital staff is assigned to interpret.

2025-S6223 - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6223

SPONSOR: RYAN C
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to treatment of deaf,
hard of hearing and nonverbal individuals during admission to a hospital

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To ensure that all deaf, hard of hearing, and non-verbal individuals can
have their interpreter with them throughout the entire care process,
including in the ambulance.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section l of the bill amends Section 2805-r of the Public Health Law.
These amendments make it so that those who are deaf or hard of hearing
are included under the statute. In addition, this bill also adds inter-
preter to the list of authorized individuals who may be present during
the admission of the patient.

Section 2 is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Emergency situations are often when people are at their most vulnerable,
and in the greatest need of help. However, for the portion of New York-
ers that are deaf, hard of hearing, or unable to verbally communicate,
these situations can become much more challenging and potentially life-
threatening. Currently, Public Health law states that family members,
guardians, and authorized helpers may be present as the patient is
admitted to medical services. However, what the law leaves out is the
fact that many of these individuals have interpreters as well. It is
critical that interpreters be authorized to stay With the patient,
including in the ambulance vehicle, so that the patient may have their
needs advocated for in the best way possible.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-24: A10328 reported from health to rules

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S6223 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6223
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 6, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. C. RYAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed 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.
                                                            LBD05040-01-5

2025-S6223A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A3404
Current Committee:: Senate Health
Law Section:: Public Health Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §2805-r, Pub Health L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: A10328

2025-S6223A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires hospitals to permit an interpreter to remain with a deaf, hard of hearing or nonverbal patient during admission to a hospital until appropriate hospital staff is assigned to interpret.

2025-S6223A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6223A

SPONSOR: RYAN C
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to treatment of deaf,
hard of hearing and nonverbal individuals during admission to a hospital

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To ensure that all deaf, hard of hearing, and non-verbal individuals can
have their interpreter with them throughout the entire care process,
including in the ambulance.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill amends Section 2805-r of the Public Health Law.
These amendments make it so that those who are deaf or hard of hearing
are included under the statute. In addition, this bill also adds inter-
preter to the list of authorized individuals who may be present during
the admission of the patient.

Section 2 is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Emergency situations are often when people are at their most vulnerable,
and in the greatest need of help. However, for the portion of New York-
ers that are deaf, hard of hearing, or unable to verbally communicate,
these situations can become much more challenging and potentially life-
threatening. Currently, Public Health law states that family members,
guardians, and authorized helpers may be present as the patient is
admitted to medical services. However, what the law leaves out is the
fact that many of these individuals have interpreters as well. It is
critical that interpreters be authorized to stay With the patient,
including in the ambulance vehicle, so that the patient may have their
needs advocated for in the best way possible.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-24: A10328 reported from health to rules

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S6223A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  6223--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 6, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. C. RYAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed  to  the  Committee  on  Health  --  committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee
 
 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 QUALIFIED 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.
                                                            LBD05040-03-5

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