Bill Text: NY A05281 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Establishes the sexual assault forensic examination telemedicine pilot program to provide expert, comprehensive, compassionate care to patients and training to support providers in health care facilities that do not have a designated sexual assault forensic examination program.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-05 - referred to health [A05281 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-A05281-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          5281

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 12, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M. of A. GUNTHER, GALEF, REYES -- read once and referred
          to the Committee on Health

        AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to  establishing  the
          sexual assault forensic examination telemedicine pilot program

          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  2805-ii to read as follows:
     3    §  2805-ii.  Sexual  assault  forensic  examination telemedicine pilot
     4  program. 1. SAFE pilot establishment. The commissioner shall establish a
     5  sexual assault forensic examination (SAFE) telemedicine pilot program to
     6  assist in providing expert, comprehensive, compassionate care  to  adult
     7  and adolescent patients and training to support providers in health care
     8  facilities  that  do not have a designated sexual assault forensic exam-
     9  ination program.  The commissioner shall consult with  the  division  of
    10  criminal  justice  services,  where appropriate, in the establishment of
    11  such pilot program.  Such SAFE telemedicine pilot shall:
    12    (a) support patient care and provide health care provider  instruction
    13  and  support in a timely manner on a twenty-four hours a day, seven days
    14  a week basis to any victim of sexual assault or abuse who presents at  a
    15  facility participating in such pilot for services associated with sexual
    16  assault or abuse, and consents to such services;
    17    (b) have professionals specially trained, experienced and certified as
    18  sexual  assault  forensic  examiners  to support emergency room staff in
    19  caring for victims of sexual assault or abuse and appropriately securing
    20  forensic evidence through live audio video technology;
    21    (c) offer to provide support through  telemedicine  to  no  less  than
    22  forty-six  hospitals  upon the effective date of this section, including
    23  all critical access hospitals and many hospitals in rural and/or  under-
    24  served areas of the state;

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02479-01-1

        A. 5281                             2

     1    (d)  ensure  the  medical  records of both providers, where applicable
     2  comply with all applicable laws  and  regulation  relating  to  evidence
     3  preservation; and
     4    (e) meet any other requirements identified by the commissioner.
     5    2. SAFE pilot evaluation. The commissioner shall evaluate, or contract
     6  with an entity to evaluate, the effectiveness of such SAFE pilot program
     7  and  prepare a report on the process of care, the outcomes delivered and
     8  the outcomes received. Such report shall also evaluate  how  such  pilot
     9  can  successfully transition to a self-sustaining program where non-SAFE
    10  hospitals could subscribe to a SAFE telemedicine  program.  Such  report
    11  shall  be  delivered  to  the  governor,  the temporary president of the
    12  senate and the speaker of the assembly by December first,  two  thousand
    13  twenty-three.
    14    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately; provided that such sexual
    15  assault  forensic  examination  telemedicine  pilot program, as added by
    16  section one of this act, shall be established  by  the  commissioner  of
    17  health  no  later than the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have
    18  become a law.
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