Bill Text: NY S07170 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes a Lyme and tick-borne disease working group to review current best practices for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Lyme and tick-borne diseases.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 16-4)

Status: (Passed) 2018-11-05 - SIGNED CHAP.337 [S07170 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-S07170-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          7170
                    IN SENATE
                                       (Prefiled)
                                     January 3, 2018
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sens.  SERINO, HANNON, AMEDORE, AVELLA, HELMING, LITTLE,
          MARCHIONE, O'MARA, PHILLIPS, RITCHIE, SEWARD, TEDISCO, VALESKY -- read
          twice and ordered printed, and when printed to  be  committed  to  the
          Committee on Finance
        AN  ACT  to  amend the executive law, in relation to establishing a Lyme
          and tick-borne diseases working group
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1.  The executive law is amended by adding a new article 45-B
     2  to read as follows:
     3                                ARTICLE 45-B
     4                 LYME AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES WORKING GROUP
     5  Section 958. Lyme and tick-borne diseases working group.
     6    § 958. Lyme and tick-borne diseases working group. 1. There is  hereby
     7  created in the executive department a Lyme and tick-borne diseases work-
     8  ing group consisting of the:
     9    (a) commissioner of health;
    10    (b) commissioner of the office of mental health;
    11    (c) commissioner of environmental conservation;
    12    (d)  superintendent  of financial services, who shall serve ex officio
    13  and who may designate representatives to act on their behalf; and
    14    (e) six additional members to be appointed by the governor.
    15    2. The governor shall also appoint eight members to the working  group
    16  on the recommendation of the legislative leaders as follows:
    17    (a)  the  temporary  president  of  the  senate  shall recommend three
    18  members;
    19    (b) the speaker of the assembly shall recommend three members;
    20    (c) the minority leader of the senate shall recommend one member; and
    21    (d) the minority leader of the assembly shall recommend one member.
    22    3. Members appointed to the working group shall include,  but  not  be
    23  limited  to,  at  least  one of each of the following, each of whom must
    24  have experienced working with issues  related  to  Lyme  and  tick-borne
    25  diseases:
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD13892-01-7
        S. 7170                             2
     1    (a) an infectious disease specialist;
     2    (b) a general practitioner;
     3    (c) a mental health practitioner;
     4    (d) an entomologist;
     5    (e) an epidemiologist; and
     6    (f) a representative of health insurance providers.
     7    4. The commissioner of health shall serve, ex officio, as the chair of
     8  the  working  group,  and the governor shall designate the vice chair of
     9  the working group. In appointing members of the working group,  appoint-
    10  ing  authorities  shall  ensure that such members, as a group, represent
    11  diverse scientific perspectives relevant to the duties  of  the  working
    12  group. The members of the working group, except those who serve ex offi-
    13  cio,  shall  be  allowed their actual and necessary expenses incurred in
    14  the performance of their duties under this article but shall receive  no
    15  additional compensation for services rendered pursuant to this article.
    16    5.  The working group, on call of the chair, shall meet at least twice
    17  each year and at such other times as may be necessary. The working group
    18  may establish quorum requirements and other rules and procedures regard-
    19  ing conduct of its meetings and other affairs.
    20    6. The working group shall have the following powers and  responsibil-
    21  ities:
    22    (a)  review  current  best  practices for the diagnosis, treatment and
    23  prevention of Lyme and tick-borne diseases, as well as  any  reports  or
    24  recommendations  from  the  twenty-first  century  workgroup for disease
    25  elimination and reduction, pursuant to section two hundred sixty-six  of
    26  the public health law;
    27    (b) provide recommendations including, but not limited to:
    28    (i)  improvements  to  the delivery of care for patients and suspected
    29  patients of Lyme and tick-borne diseases, particularly those from endem-
    30  ic areas of the state;
    31    (ii) collaborations among county  departments  of  health  to  promote
    32  effective  strategies  to combat Lyme and tick-borne diseases, including
    33  best practices for prevention and reporting;
    34    (iii) interagency collaborations to streamline state efforts to combat
    35  the spread of Lyme and tick-borne diseases;
    36    (iv) identifying opportunities to collaborate with the federal govern-
    37  ment, non-profit entities, or private organizations on projects address-
    38  ing these diseases;
    39    (v) data collection and reporting requirements of Lyme and  tick-borne
    40  disease,  including  but not limited to, those for healthcare providers;
    41  and
    42    (vi) any other regulations or guidelines  concerning  Lyme  and  tick-
    43  borne diseases; and
    44    (c)  prepare  and  issue  a report on the working group's findings and
    45  recommendations by May first, two thousand nineteen to the governor, the
    46  temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly.
    47    7. If any appointments to the working group  are  not  made  by  April
    48  fifteenth,  two thousand nineteen, then the working group may proceed to
    49  meet and fulfill its responsibilities, pursuant to  paragraphs  two  and
    50  three of this section, without such appointees.
    51    §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
    52  have become a law.