New York A 600: Establishes staffing standards for physical therapists and therapist assistants, occupational therapists and therapy assistants, respiratory therapists and therapy technicians and recreational therapists

Bill Text

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A00600 Summary:

BILL NOA00600 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS S08286

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SPONSORHevesi

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COSPNSRWeprin, Simon, Berger, Jensen

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MLTSPNSR

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Amd §2895-b, Pub Health L

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Includes physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, respiratory therapists, respiratory therapy technicians, and recreational therapists within the existing statutory staffing standards for nursing homes.

Go to top A00600 Actions:

BILL NOA00600 

&nbsp

01/08/2025referred to health

01/07/2026referred to health

Go to topA00600 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA00600 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topA00600 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 600

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 (Prefiled)

 January 8, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. HEVESI, WEPRIN, SIMON, BERGER, JENSEN -- read
 once and referred to the Committee on Health

 AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing
 staffing standards for physical therapists, physical therapist assist-
 ants, occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants,
 respiratory therapists, respiratory therapy technicians, and recre-
 ational therapists at nursing homes

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

 1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 2895-b of the public health law is
 2 amended by adding four new paragraphs (e), (f), (g) and (h) to read as
 3 follows:
 4 (e) "Physical therapist or physical therapist assistant" means any
 5 person licensed or certified as such pursuant to article one hundred
 6 thirty-six of the education law.
 7 (f) "Occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant" means
 8 any person licensed or otherwise authorized to practice as such pursuant
 9 to article one hundred fifty-six of the education law.
 10 (g) "Respiratory therapist" or "respiratory therapy technician" means
 11 any person licensed or otherwise authorized to practice as such pursuant
 12 to article one hundred sixty-four of the education law.
 13 (h) "Recreational therapist" means any person with a bachelor's degree
 14 with certification as a certified therapeutic recreation specialist from
 15 the national council for therapeutic recreation certification.
 16 § 2. Paragraph (h) of subdivision 2 of section 2895-b of the public
 17 health law, as added by chapter 156 of the laws of 2021, is amended to
 18 read as follows:
 19 (h) The minimum staffing standard includes the hours which are
 20 required to be reported by a nursing home to the federal Centers for
 21 Medicare and Medicaid Services through the payroll based journal for

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD01524-01-5

 A. 600 2

 1 long-term care for certified [nursing assistants and] nurses aides,
 2 licensed nurses, physical therapists, physical therapist assistants,
 3 occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, respiratory
 4 therapists, respiratory therapy technicians, and recreational
 5 therapists. In determining compliance with the staffing standards under
 6 this subdivision, an individual shall not be counted while performing
 7 administrative services as defined in the payroll based journal for
 8 long-term care facilities.
 9 § 3. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subdivision 3 and paragraph (a) of
 10 subdivision 4 of section 2895-b of the public health law, as added by
 11 chapter 156 of the laws of 2021, are amended to read as follows:
 12 (a) Beginning January first, two thousand twenty-two every nursing
 13 home shall maintain daily average staffing hours equal to 3.5 hours of
 14 care per resident per day by a certified nurse aide, a licensed nurse
 15 [or], a nurse aide, a physical therapist, a physical therapist assist-
 16 ant, an occupational therapist, an occupational therapy assistant, a
 17 respiratory therapist, a respiratory therapy technician, or a recre-
 18 ational therapist, or any combination thereof; provided that out of such
 19 3.5 hours, no less than 2.2 hours of care per resident per day shall be
 20 provided by a certified nurse aide [or], a nurse aide, a physical