New York S 9621: Relates to access to palliative care and hospice services

Bill Text

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S09621 Summary:

BILL NOS09621 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS A10316

&nbsp

SPONSORSCARCELLA-SPANTON

&nbsp

COSPNSRSKOUFIS

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Amd §2997-d, Pub Health L

&nbsp

Amends policies and procedures to improve access to palliative care and hospice services; directs implementation of hospice-palliative care health system demonstration projects.

Go to top S09621 Actions:

BILL NOS09621 

&nbsp

03/30/2026REFERRED TO HEALTH

Go to topS09621 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS09621 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS09621 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 9621

 IN SENATE

 March 30, 2026
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. SCARCELLA-SPANTON -- read twice and ordered printed,
 and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health

 AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to strengthening
 access to palliative care and hospice services

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

 1 Section 1. Section 2997-d of the public health law, as added by
 2 section 48 of part H of chapter 59 of the laws of 2011, is amended to
 3 read as follows:
 4 § 2997-d. Hospital, nursing home, home care, special needs assisted
 5 living residences and enhanced assisted living residences palliative
 6 care support. 1. (a) "Palliative care" means health care treatment,
 7 including interdisciplinary end-of-life care, and consultation with
 8 patients and family members, to prevent or relieve pain and suffering
 9 and to enhance the patient's quality of life, including hospice care
 10 under article forty of this chapter.
 11 (b) "Appropriate" has the same meaning as paragraph (a) of subdivision
 12 one of section twenty-nine hundred ninety-seven-c of this title.
 13 (c) "Community-based palliative care" means palliative care services
 14 delivered in a patient's residence or other community setting, including
 15 symptom management, psychosocial support, advance care planning, care
 16 coordination, and referral to hospice services, as appropriate.
 17 (d) "Hospice" means a program licensed under article forty of this
 18 chapter.
 19 (e) "Administrator" shall mean a statewide membership based not-for-
 20 profit organization whose primary mission is to promote access to quali-
 21 ty end of life care for all New Yorkers.
 22 2. General hospitals, nursing homes, organizations licensed or certi-
 23 fied pursuant to article thirty-six of this chapter, and organizations
 24 licensed as special needs assisted living residences or enhanced
 25 assisted living residences pursuant to article forty-six-B of this chap-
 26 ter shall establish and implement written policies and procedures to
 27 [provide] ensure that patients with advanced life limiting conditions
 28 [and] or illnesses who might benefit from palliative care, including

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD14732-03-6

 S. 9621 2

 1 associated pain management, [services] are identified and provided with
 2 timely access to information [and], counseling [regarding such options
 3 appropriate to the patient], and such services, including community-
 4 based palliative care. Policies must include provision for patients who
 5 lack capacity to make medical decisions, so that access to such informa-
 6 tion and counseling shall be provided to the persons who are legally
 7 authorized to make medical decisions on behalf of such patients.
 8 3. General hospitals, nursing homes, organizations licensed or certi-
 9 fied pursuant to article thirty-six of this chapter, and organizations
 10 licensed as special needs assisted living residences or enhanced
 11 assisted living residences pursuant to article forty-six-B of this chap-
 12 ter shall facilitate access to appropriate palliative care consultations
 13 and services, including associated pain management consultations and
 14 services, [including but not limited to] and ensure referrals are made
 15 consistent with patient needs and preferences. [The department shall
 16 take into account access and proximity of palliative care services,
 17 including the availability of hospice and palliative care board certi-
 18