New York S 8668: Enacts the "protection, respect, inclusion, dignity, and equality (PRIDE) care act"

Bill Text

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S08668 Summary:

BILL NOS08668 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS A09264

&nbsp

SPONSORCLEARE

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COSPNSR

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

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Amd §3602, add §3604, Pub Health L

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Establishes a home care services bill of rights for patients of home care services agencies and certified home health agencies; requires training for staff and contractors of such agencies to eliminate certain discriminations; makes related provisions.

Go to top S08668 Actions:

BILL NOS08668 

&nbsp

01/07/2026REFERRED TO HEALTH

Go to topS08668 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS08668 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topS08668 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 8668

 IN SENATE

 January 7, 2026
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. CLEARE -- 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 enacting the
 "protection, respect, inclusion, dignity, and equality (PRIDE) care
 act"

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

 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 2 the "protection, respect, inclusion, dignity, and equality (PRIDE) care
 3 act".
 4 § 2. Section 3602 of the public health law is amended by adding seven
 5 new subdivisions 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 to read as follows:
 6 18. "Non-direct patient contact employee or contractor" means an
 7 employee or contractor who does not make direct contact with the
 8 patient. For the purposes of this subdivision, the term "direct contact"
 9 includes, but is not limited to, communications with the patient through
 10 in-person interactions, phone calls, text messages, emails, virtual
 11 messages, and letters.
 12 19. "Direct contact employee or contractor" means any employee or
 13 contractor who makes direct contact with the patient. For the purposes
 14 of this subdivision, "direct contact" includes, but is not limited to,
 15 communications with the patient through in-person interactions, phone
 16 calls, text messages, emails, virtual messages, and letters.
 17 20. "Gender identity or expression" means a person's actual or
 18 perceived gender-related identity, appearance, behavior, expression, or
 19 other gender-related characteristic regardless of the sex assigned to
 20 the person at birth, including, but not limited to, the status of being
 21 transgender.
 22 21. "Gender affirming health care" means medical, surgical, behav-
 23 ioral, health, psychological, and other services intended to support and
 24 affirm a person's self-determined gender identity or expression. The
 25 term "gender affirming health care" does not include sexual orientation,
 26 gender identity, and gender expression change efforts.
 27 22. "AIDS" means diagnosed acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD13764-02-5

 S. 8668 2

 1 23. "HIV" means the human immunodeficiency virus.
 2 24. "LGBTQ" means lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and/or
 3 intersex identities.
 4 § 3. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 3604 to
 5 read as follows:
 6 § 3604. Home care services bill of rights. The provisions of this
 7 section shall apply to home care services agencies and certified home
 8 health agencies.
 9 1. A patient who receives home care services shall not be subject to
 10 discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity,
 11 gender expression, and/or HIV status, and shall have the following
 12 rights:
 13 (a) to receive written information, in plain language and in a
 14 language the patient understands, about such patient's rights under this
 15 section before receiving services, including what to do and who to
 16 contact if such rights are violated;
 17 (b) to receive a nondiscrimination notice, which:
 18 (i) shall read "(Name of provider) does not discriminate and does not
 19 permit discrimination, including, but not limited to, bullying, abuse,
 20 or harassment, on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation,
 21 gender identity, gender expression, or HIV status, or based on associ-
 22 atio