NY State Senate Bill 2025-S6731

Senate Bill S6731

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Provides for the designation by a general hospital of persons to identify infectious disease processes

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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Mar 21, 2025	referred to health

co-Sponsors

2025-S6731 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A8435
Current Committee:: Senate Health
Law Section:: Public Health Law
Laws Affected:: Add §2832, Pub Health L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2017-2018: S8185, A10671
2019-2020: S5186, A3705
2021-2022: S4472, A5668
2023-2024: S4950, A5406

2025-S6731 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides for the designation by a general hospital of persons 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.

2025-S6731 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6731

SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to the employment of
persons to function as infection preventionists in certain general
hospitals

 
PURPOSE:

To require individuals employed as infection preventionists in hospitals
to be certified and undergo continuing education.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of this bill creates a new Section 2831 in the Public Health
Law to address infection preventionists. Subdivision 1 defines key
terms. Subdivisions 2 and 3 sets forth the certification requirements
for infection preventionists. Subdivisions 4 and 5 set forth the employ-
er requirements for infection preventionists. Subdivision 6 relates to
scope of practice. Finally, subdivision 7 states that regulations are to

be promulgated by the commissioner if necessary.

Section 2 is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Most infection preventionists ("IPs") are nurses, physicians, public
health professionals, epidemiologists, microbiologists, or medical tech-
nologists who are employed within healthcare institutions and also serve
as educators,researchers, consultants, and clinical scientists. The
majority are affiliated with acute care settings. An increasing number
practice in ambulatory and outpatient services where they direct
programs that protect patients and personnel from HAIs. Members are also
involved in long-term care, home health, and other practice settings
where infection prevention and control is an increasing area of respon-
sibility for nurses and other healthcare personnel.

IPs collect, analyze, and interpret health data in order to track
infection trends, plan appropriate interventions, measure success, and
report relevant data to public health agencies. They establish scientif-
ically based infection prevention practices and collaborate with the
healthcare team to assure implementation. Further, they work to prevent
healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in healthcare facilities by
isolating sources of infections and limiting their transmission. They
also educate healthcare personnel and the public about infectious
diseases and how to limit their spread. The legislation requires the
certification of persons who wish to practice infection preventionists.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-2024: 5.4950 - Committed to Rules/A.5406 - Passed Assembly

2021-2022: S.4472-A - Reported and Committed to Finance/A.5668-A Passed
the Assembly

2019-2020: S.5186-B - Amend and Recommit to Health/A.3705-B - Passed the
Assembly
2017-2018: S.8185-A - Committed to Rules/A.10671-A - Amend and Recommit
to Health

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the State.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first January next succeeding the date
upon which it shall have become a law.

2025-S6731 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6731
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 21, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  JACKSON,  HINCHEY,  MYRIE, WEBB -- 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 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

 S. 6731                             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.

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Senate Bill S6731

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Sponsored By

Robert Jackson