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Senate Bill S9620

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Requires residential health care facilities to maintain hospice agreements to ensure access to hospice services for eligible residents

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Health Committee

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2025-S9620 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A10310
Current Committee:
Senate Health
Law Section:
Public Health Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §2808, Pub Health L

2025-S9620 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires residential health care facilities to maintain hospice agreements to ensure access to hospice services for eligible residents.

2025-S9620 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S9620 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9620
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 30, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. SCARCELLA-SPANTON -- 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 requiring residen-
   tial health care facilities to maintain hospice agreements  to  ensure
   access to hospice services for eligible residents
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 2808 of the public health law is amended by  adding
 a new subdivision 28 to read as follows:
   28.  (A)  EACH  RESIDENTIAL  HEALTH CARE FACILITY SHALL ENTER INTO AND
 MAINTAIN ONE OR MORE WRITTEN AGREEMENTS WITH HOSPICE  PROGRAMS  LICENSED
 PURSUANT  TO  ARTICLE  FORTY OF THIS CHAPTER TO ENSURE ACCESS TO HOSPICE
 SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR AND ELECT THE HOSPICE  BENE-
 FIT.
   (B) SUCH AGREEMENTS SHALL PROVIDE FOR COORDINATION OF CARE BETWEEN THE
 RESIDENTIAL HEALTH CARE FACILITY AND THE HOSPICE PROGRAM AND SHALL, AT A
 MINIMUM, ADDRESS:
   (I) TIMELY HOSPICE EVALUATION AND REFERRAL;
   (II)  ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF FACILITY STAFF AND HOSPICE PERSON-
 NEL;
   (III) INTERDISCIPLINARY CARE PLANNING AND SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT;
   (IV) MEDICATION MANAGEMENT AND CLINICAL OVERSIGHT;
   (V) AFTER-HOURS COMMUNICATION AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE; AND
   (VI) DOCUMENTATION AND INFORMATION SHARING, CONSISTENT WITH APPLICABLE
 LAW.
   (C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  TO
 RESIDENTIAL  HEALTH  CARE  FACILITIES  AND  HOSPICE  PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT
 IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS SUBDIVISION, INCLUDING MODEL CONTRACT  PROVISIONS
 AND BEST PRACTICE RECOMMENDATIONS.
   (D)  FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL
 CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION SUBJECT TO ENFORCEMENT PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE.
   (E) TO THE EXTENT NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBDI-
 VISION, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL SEEK ANY FEDERAL APPROVALS REQUIRED.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14724-01-6

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