Bill Text: NY S07170 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Amended
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-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7170--A IN SENATE (Prefiled) January 3, 2018 ___________ Introduced by Sens. SERINO, HANNON, AMEDORE, AVELLA, BONACIC, CROCI, HELMING, JACOBS, LARKIN, LITTLE, MARCHIONE, O'MARA, PHILLIPS, RANZEN- HOFER, RITCHIE, SAVINO, SEWARD, TEDISCO, VALESKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee 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 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD13892-05-8S. 7170--A 2 1 have experience working with issues related to Lyme and tick-borne 2 diseases: 3 (a) an infectious disease specialist; 4 (b) a general practitioner; 5 (c) a mental health practitioner; 6 (d) an entomologist; 7 (e) an epidemiologist; 8 (f) a representative of health insurance providers; and 9 (g) a representative of a tick-borne disease advocacy organization. 10 4. The commissioner of health shall serve, ex officio, as the chair of 11 the working group, and the governor shall designate the vice chair of 12 the working group. In appointing members of the working group, appoint- 13 ing authorities shall ensure that such members, as a group, represent 14 diverse scientific perspectives relevant to the duties of the working 15 group. The members of the working group, except those who serve ex offi- 16 cio, shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses incurred in 17 the performance of their duties under this article but shall receive no 18 additional compensation for services rendered pursuant to this article. 19 5. The working group, on call of the chair, shall meet at least twice 20 each year and at such other times as may be necessary. The working group 21 may establish quorum requirements and other rules and procedures regard- 22 ing conduct of its meetings and other affairs. 23 6. The working group shall have the following powers and responsibil- 24 ities: 25 (a) review current best practices for the diagnosis, treatment and 26 prevention of Lyme and tick-borne diseases, as well as any reports or 27 recommendations from the twenty-first century workgroup for disease 28 elimination and reduction, pursuant to section two hundred sixty-six of 29 the public health law; 30 (b) provide recommendations including, but not limited to: 31 (i) improvements to the delivery of care for patients and suspected 32 patients of Lyme and tick-borne diseases, particularly those from endem- 33 ic areas of the state; 34 (ii) collaborations among county departments of health to promote 35 effective strategies to combat Lyme and tick-borne diseases, including 36 best practices for prevention and reporting; 37 (iii) interagency collaborations to streamline state efforts to combat 38 the spread of Lyme and tick-borne diseases; 39 (iv) identifying opportunities to collaborate with the federal govern- 40 ment, non-profit entities, or private organizations on projects address- 41 ing these diseases; 42 (v) data collection and reporting requirements of Lyme and tick-borne 43 disease, including but not limited to, those for healthcare providers; 44 and 45 (vi) any other regulations or guidelines concerning Lyme and tick- 46 borne diseases; and 47 (c) prepare and issue a report on the working group's findings and 48 recommendations by May first, two thousand nineteen to the governor, the 49 temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly. 50 7. If any appointments to the working group are not made by April 51 fifteenth, two thousand nineteen, then the working group may proceed to 52 meet and fulfill its responsibilities, pursuant to paragraphs two and 53 three of this section, without such appointees. 54 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 55 have become a law.
