New York S 7983: Enacts the "McDow Watson medical transparency in correctional facilities act"

Bill Text

Bill Search and Legislative Information | New York State Assembly 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

 Skip to main content 

 New York State Assembly

 Speaker Carl E. Heastie

 --> 
 --> 

 --> 

• 
 Assembly Members 

• 
 Legislative Info 

• 
 Public Hearings 

• 
 Speaker's Press 

• 
 Assembly Reports 

• 
 Committees & More 

• Bill Search Home
• Laws
• Legislative Calendar
• Public Hearing Schedule
• Assembly Calendars
• Assembly Committee Agenda 

 Javascript must be enabled to properly view this page. 

 Bill No.: 

• Summary 
• Actions 
• Committee&nbspVotes 
• Floor&nbspVotes 
• Memo 
• Text 
• LFIN 
• Chamber&nbspVideo/Transcript 
S07983 Summary:

BILL NOS07983 

&nbsp

SAME ASNo Same As

&nbsp

SPONSORFERNANDEZ

&nbsp

COSPNSR

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Amd §17, add §§17-a - 17-d, Cor L

&nbsp

Relates to required notification of an incarcerated individual's emergency contacts when such incarcerated individual experiences a serious medical event; provides that incarcerated individuals and their representatives shall have the right to access such incarcerated individual's medical records; provides requirements for access to such medical records; establishes an independent medical oversight body to monitor and evaluate the quality of medical care provided to incarcerated individuals within correctional facilities and to ensure compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements for adequate medical care; provides penalties for certain violations; requires the department of corrections and community supervision to collect data on medical incidents, response times, and correctional facility compliance with certain requirements, and to publish an annual report detailing such data.

Go to top S07983 Actions:

BILL NOS07983 

&nbsp

05/15/2025REFERRED TO CRIME VICTIMS, CRIME AND CORRECTION

01/07/2026REFERRED TO CRIME VICTIMS, CRIME AND CORRECTION

Go to topS07983 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS07983 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topS07983 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 7983

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 May 15, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. FERNANDEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and
 Correction

 AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to enacting the "McDow
 Watson medical transparency in correctional facilities act"

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

 1 Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature finds
 2 that:
 3 Timely and appropriate medical care is a fundamental right of all
 4 individuals, including those incarcerated in correctional facilities
 5 within the state of New York, as guaranteed by the Eighth Amendment of
 6 the United States Constitution and Section 5 of Article I, of the New
 7 York State Constitution, which prohibit cruel and unusual punishment.
 8 There have been documented instances of delays in treatment, denial of
 9 necessary medication, inadequate responses to medical emergencies, and
 10 insufficient communication with emergency contacts of incarcerated indi-
 11 viduals, resulting in unnecessary suffering, permanent disability, and
 12 even death. These instances include, but are not limited to, the follow-
 13 ing:
 14 1. Layleen Polanco (2019), Rikers Island: Ms. Polanco died in solitary
 15 confinement, and her family reportedly learned of her death from another
 16 incarcerated person, not from official channels.
 17 2. Dante Taylor (2017), Mid-State Correctional Facility: Mr. Taylor
 18 died after reportedly complaining of chest pain and not receiving
 19 adequate medical attention. His family was reportedly not notified of
 20 his death for over 24 hours.
 21 3. Estate of Kyam Livingston v. City of New York (2013), Central
 22 Brooklyn Holding: Ms. Livingston died in a jail cell after reportedly
 23 requesting medical assistance for hours. Her family was not promptly
 24 informed of her death.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD11320-01-5

 S. 7983 2

 1 4. John MacKenzie (2017) at Attica Correctional Facility: Mr. MacKen-
 2 zie was taken from the prison to the hospital, unconscious. The depart-
 3 ment of corrections and community supervision (DOCCS) took four days to
 4 notify Mr. MacKenzie's wife.
 5 5. Bradley D (Confidential) Report by the Correctional Association:
 6 Mr. D's colostomy bag ruptured, and he subsequently developed life-
 7 threatening complications. His partner called DOCCS for days without
 8 answers, and only found out he was in the hospital when staff at the
 9 hospital found him in the directory.
 10 6. Numerous documented cases by The Correctional Association of New
 11 York: This illustrates failures in DOCCS processes and p