Bill Text: NY A01052 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Provides for the authorization and regulation of visitation of compassionate care-giving visitors at nursing homes and residential health care facilities.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 61-3)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-03 - substituted by s614b [A01052 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-A01052-Amended.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         1052--B
                                                                 Cal. No. 85

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                     January 7, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of A. BRONSON, GOTTFRIED, LUPARDO, SEAWRIGHT, STERN,
          FAHY, CLARK, McMAHON, NOLAN, JACOBSON, SIMON, MEEKS,  WOERNER,  JONES,
          ENGLEBRIGHT, GRIFFIN, LUNSFORD, SANTABARBARA, WALLACE, BARRETT, STECK,
          BARRON, NORRIS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health --
          committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
          recommitted to said committee -- reported from committee, advanced  to
          a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place on
          the order of third reading

        AN  ACT  to  amend the public health law and the social services law, in
          relation to personal and compassionate caregiving visitors  for  resi-
          dents of nursing homes

          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  section
     2  2801-h to read as follows:
     3    § 2801-h. Personal caregiving and compassionate caregiving visitors to
     4  nursing  home  residents  during declared local or state health emergen-
     5  cies.  1.  As used in this section, the following terms have the follow-
     6  ing meanings:
     7    (a) "personal caregiving visitor" means a family member, close friend,
     8  or legal guardian of a resident designated  by  such  resident  or  such
     9  resident's lawful representative to provide personal caregiving for such
    10  resident, including a compassionate caregiving visitor;
    11    (b)  "personal  caregiving"  means care and support of a resident by a
    12  personal caregiving visitor that is provided to benefit such  resident's
    13  mental, physical, or social well-being;
    14    (c)  "compassionate  caregiving  visitor"  means a personal caregiving
    15  visitor providing compassionate caregiving to a resident;
    16    (d) "compassionate  caregiving"  means  personal  caregiving  that  is
    17  provided  in  anticipation  of  the  end  of a resident's life or in the

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04858-10-1

        A. 1052--B                          2

     1  instance of significant mental or social decline or crisis  of  a  resi-
     2  dent;
     3    (e)  "resident"  means  a resident of a nursing home; in relation to a
     4  personal caregiving visitor, "resident" means the resident to  whom  the
     5  personal  caregiving  visitor  has  been  designated to provide personal
     6  caregiving; and
     7    (f) "visit" includes providing personal caregiving to a resident.
     8    2. Personal caregiving visitors may visit residents of nursing  homes,
     9  subject  to this section.  The commissioner shall make regulations under
    10  this section which shall:
    11    (a)  require   nursing homes to allow personal caregiving visitors  to
    12  visit residents subject to this section;
    13    (b)  set  forth  procedures for the designation of personal caregiving
    14  visitors by residents or resident's lawful  representatives,  which  may
    15  include  in  appropriate  circumstances  requiring  a physical or mental
    16  health professional to state that the personal caregiving will  substan-
    17  tially benefit the resident's mental, physical, or social well-being; an
    18  nursing  home  shall  not require that the health professional is affil-
    19  iated with such nursing home;
    20    (c) set forth procedures for changing a  personal  caregiving  visitor
    21  designation;
    22    (d)  provide  that  a resident shall not be entitled to designate more
    23  than two personal caregiving visitors;
    24    (e)  provide that personal caregiving visitors shall  be  exempt  from
    25  prohibitions  on  visiting  residents  at  nursing homes, subject to the
    26  limitations and requirements set forth by this subdivision;
    27    (f) set forth the circumstances under which visiting by personal care-
    28  giving visitors may be temporarily limited or  suspended  at  a  nursing
    29  home,  including,  but  not limited to, local infection rates, temporary
    30  inadequate staff capacity, or an acute emergency situation;
    31    (g)  require, at a   minimum, that all  personal  caregiving  visitors
    32  follow  safety protocols required for nursing home staff, including, but
    33  not limited to:
    34    (i) testing for communicable diseases;
    35    (ii) checking body temperature;
    36    (iii) health screenings;
    37    (iv) appropriate use of personal protection equipment;
    38    (v) social distancing (except as necessary for personal caregiving  by
    39  the personal caregiving visitor for the resident); and
    40    (vi) any other requirement the department deems appropriate;
    41    (h)    set   forth standards for  frequency and duration  of visits by
    42  personal caregiving visitors at  nursing homes;
    43    (i)  set  forth standards for limiting  the total number  of  personal
    44  caregiving visitors allowed to visit  a nursing home  at  any  one time;
    45  and
    46    (j)  make  appropriate  provisions  for  compassionate  caregiving and
    47  compassionate caregiving visitors.
    48    § 2. The social services law is amended by adding a new section  461-u
    49  to read as follows:
    50    § 461-u. Personal caregiving and compassionate caregiving visitors for
    51  residents of adult care facilities during declared local or state health
    52  emergencies.    1. As used in this section, the following terms have the
    53  following meanings:
    54    (a) "personal caregiving visitor" means a family member, close friend,
    55  or legal guardian of a resident designated  by  such  resident  or  such

        A. 1052--B                          3

     1  resident's lawful representative to provide personal caregiving for such
     2  resident, including a compassionate caregiving visitor;
     3    (b)  "personal  caregiving"  means care and support of a resident by a
     4  personal caregiving visitor that is provided to benefit such  resident's
     5  mental, physical, or social well-being.
     6    (c)  "compassionate  caregiving  visitor"  means a personal caregiving
     7  visitor providing compassionate caregiving to a resident;
     8    (d) "compassionate  caregiving"  means  personal  caregiving  that  is
     9  provided  in  anticipation  of  the  end  of a resident's life or in the
    10  instance of significant mental or social decline or crisis  of  a  resi-
    11  dent;
    12    (e) "resident" means a resident of an adult care facility; in relation
    13  to  a personal caregiving visitor, "resident" means the resident to whom
    14  a personal caregiving visitor has been designated  to  provide  personal
    15  caregiving; and
    16    (f) "visit" includes providing personal caregiving to a resident.
    17    2.  Personal  caregiving  visitors  may  visit residents of adult care
    18  facilities, subject to this section.  The commissioner of the department
    19  responsible for the licensure or certification for each  type  of  adult
    20  care  facility  shall  make regulations for such type under this section
    21  which shall:
    22    (a)  require adult care facilities to allow personal caregiving  visi-
    23  tors to visit residents subject to this section;
    24    (b)  set  forth  procedures for the designation of personal caregiving
    25  visitors by residents or resident's lawful  representatives,  which  may
    26  include  in  appropriate  circumstances  requiring  a physical or mental
    27  health professional to state that the personal caregiving will  substan-
    28  tially benefit the resident's mental, physical, or social well-being; an
    29  adult  care  facility  shall  not  require that a health professional is
    30  affiliated with such adult care facility;
    31    (c) set forth procedures for changing a  personal  caregiving  visitor
    32  designation;
    33    (d)  provide  that  a resident shall not be entitled to designate more
    34  than two personal caregiving visitors;
    35    (e) provide that personal caregiving visitors  shall  be  exempt  from
    36  prohibitions  on visiting residents at adult care facilities, subject to
    37  the limitations and requirements in this subdivision;
    38    (f) set forth the circumstances under which visiting by personal care-
    39  giving visitors may be temporarily limited or suspended at an adult care
    40  facility, including, but not limited to, local infection  rates,  tempo-
    41  rary inadequate staff capacity, or an acute emergency situation;
    42    (g)  require,  at  a  minimum,  that  all personal caregiving visitors
    43  follow safety protocols required for adult care facility staff,  includ-
    44  ing, but not limited to:
    45    (i) testing for communicable diseases;
    46    (ii) checking body temperature;
    47    (iii) health screenings;
    48    (iv) appropriate use of personal protection equipment;
    49    (v)  social distancing (except as necessary for personal caregiving by
    50  the personal caregiving visitor for a resident); and
    51    (vi) any other requirement the  office  of  temporary  and  disability
    52  assistance deems appropriate;
    53    (h)  set  forth  standards  for  frequency  and  duration of visits by
    54  personal caregiving visitors at adult care facilities;

        A. 1052--B                          4

     1    (i) set forth standards for limiting  the  total  number  of  personal
     2  caregiving  visitors  allowed to visit an adult care facility at any one
     3  time; and
     4    (j)  make  appropriate  provisions  for  compassionate  caregiving and
     5  compassionate caregiving visitors.
     6    § 3. This act shall take effect on the forty-fifth day after it  shall
     7  have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
     8  repeal  of  any  rule  or regulation necessary for the implementation of
     9  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made  and  completed
    10  on or before such date.
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