Bill Text: NY S00399 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Enacts the safer consumption services pilot program act which provides for the establishment of a pilot program to provide overdose prevention center pilot programs.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 25-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-07 - REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE [S00399 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S00399-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         399--A

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                       (Prefiled)

                                     January 4, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sens.  RIVERA,  BRISPORT, BROUK, CLEARE, COMRIE, COONEY,
          HOYLMAN-SIGAL, JACKSON, KRUEGER, MAY, MYRIE, PARKER,  RAMOS,  SALAZAR,
          SANDERS,  SEPULVEDA,  SERRANO  --  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 enacting the safer
          consumption services act

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding  a  new  article
     2  33-C to read as follows:
     3                                ARTICLE 33-C
     4                       SAFER CONSUMPTION SERVICES ACT
     5  Section 3399.   Short title.
     6          3399-a. Definitions.
     7          3399-b. Program approval.
     8          3399-c. Designation.
     9          3399-d. Reporting.
    10          3399-e. Immunity provided.
    11    §  3399.  Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as the
    12  "safer consumption services act".
    13    § 3399-a. Definitions. As used in this article:
    14    1. "Program" means an overdose prevention center  program  established
    15  pursuant to this article.
    16    2.  "Entity" means any community-based organization that is an author-
    17  ized syringe exchange program in accordance with the regulations of  the
    18  department  which provides educational, health, harm reduction, housing,
    19  or social services and any hospital, medical clinic  or  office,  health

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00024-04-3
        S. 399--A                           2

     1  center,  nursing care facility, mental health facility, or other similar
     2  entity that provides medical care.
     3    3.  "Participant"  means an individual who seeks to utilize, utilizes,
     4  or has used a program established pursuant to this article.
     5    § 3399-b. Program approval. 1. Notwithstanding any other statute,  law
     6  or rule to the contrary, the department may approve an entity to operate
     7  a program in one or more jurisdictions upon satisfaction of the require-
     8  ments set forth in subdivision two of this section. The department shall
     9  establish standards for program approval and training and may promulgate
    10  such rules and regulations as are necessary to implement this section.
    11    (a)  The  department  shall  approve or deny an application under this
    12  section within forty-five days of the day of receipt of the  application
    13  and provide a written explanation of such determination.
    14    (b)  An entity may make an application under this section at any time,
    15  regardless of previous applications.
    16    2. The department may approve an entity to operate a program  pursuant
    17  to this article, upon submission of an application that demonstrates the
    18  entity will, at a minimum:
    19    (a)  provide  a  hygienic  space  where participants may consume their
    20  preobtained drugs that is separate from the space in which the  provider
    21  performs other services;
    22    (b)  provide  adequate  staffing  by healthcare professionals or other
    23  trained staff;
    24    (c) provide sterile injection and other consumption supplies,  collect
    25  used  hypodermic  needles  and  syringes,  and provide secure hypodermic
    26  needle and syringe disposal services;
    27    (d) provide education on safer consumption practices, proper  disposal
    28  of  hypodermic  needles and syringes, and overdose prevention, including
    29  written information in, at a minimum,  the  four  most  commonly  spoken
    30  languages in the state as determined by the department;
    31    (e)  administer  first  aid,  if  needed, and monitor participants for
    32  potential overdose;
    33    (f) provide referrals to substance use  disorder  treatment,  medical,
    34  social welfare, and employment and training services;
    35    (g)  educate  participants  on  the risks of contracting HIV and viral
    36  hepatitis and provide sexual health resources and  supplies,  including,
    37  but not limited to, male and female condoms;
    38    (h)  provide  access  to  naloxone or referrals to obtain naloxone for
    39  participants;
    40    (i) provide reasonable and adequate security of the program  site  and
    41  equipment;
    42    (j)  ensure confidentiality of program participants by using an anony-
    43  mous unique identifier;
    44    (k) train staff members to deliver services offered by the program  or
    45  attend trainings provided by the department; and
    46    (l)  establish  operating procedures for the program as well as eligi-
    47  bility criteria for program participants.
    48    § 3399-c. Designation. A department approved  program  shall  also  be
    49  designated  as an authorized syringe exchange program in accordance with
    50  the regulations of the department as set forth in 10 NYCRR 80.135 and as
    51  a registered provider  of  an  opioid  overdose  prevention  program  in
    52  accordance  with  the  regulations  of the department as set forth in 10
    53  NYCRR 80.138.
    54    § 3399-d. Reporting. An entity operating an overdose prevention center
    55  program under this article shall provide an annual report to the depart-
    56  ment at a date set by the department that shall include:
        S. 399--A                           3

     1    1. the number of program participants;
     2    2.  aggregate  information  regarding  the  characteristics of program
     3  participants;
     4    3. the number of hypodermic needles and syringes distributed  for  use
     5  on-site;
     6    4. the number of overdoses experienced, the number of overdoses inter-
     7  vened on-site, and the outcomes; and
     8    5.  the  number of individuals directly and formally referred to other
     9  services and the type of service.
    10    § 3399-e. Immunity provided. Notwithstanding any other statute, law or
    11  rule to the contrary, the  following  persons  shall  not  be  arrested,
    12  charged,  or  prosecuted  for  any criminal offense or be subject to any
    13  civil or administrative penalty,  including  seizure  or  forfeiture  of
    14  assets or real property or disciplinary action by a professional licens-
    15  ing board, or be denied any right or privilege, solely for participation
    16  or  involvement in an overdose prevention center program approved by the
    17  department so long as such participation  or  involvement  was  in  good
    18  faith  and  in  accordance  with  established protocols pursuant to this
    19  article:
    20    1. a participant;
    21    2. a staff member or administrator of a program, including  a  health-
    22  care  professional, manager, employee, board member, director, or volun-
    23  teer; or
    24    3. a property owner who owns property at which a  program  is  located
    25  and operates.
    26    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.