S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________

                                        3673--A

                              2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                                   I N  S E N A T E

                                     March 1, 2011
                                      ___________

       Introduced  by  Sens.  HANNON,  LARKIN, OPPENHEIMER, RANZENHOFER -- read
         twice and ordered printed, and when printed to  be  committed  to  the
         Committee  on  Health  --  reported  favorably from said committee and
         committed to the Committee on Finance --  committee  discharged,  bill
         amended,  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
         tee

       AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to the  establishment
         of convenient care clinics

         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

    1    Section 1. Section 2801-a of the  public  health  law  is  amended  by
    2  adding a new subdivision 17 to read as follows:
    3    17.  CONVENIENT  CARE  CLINICS.    (A) DIAGNOSTIC OR TREATMENT CENTERS
    4  ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE HEALTH CARE SERVICES WITHIN THE SPACE OF A RETAIL
    5  BUSINESS OPERATION, SUCH AS A PHARMACY, A  STORE  OPEN  TO  THE  GENERAL
    6  PUBLIC  OR  A  SHOPPING  MALL,  OR  WITHIN SPACE USED BY AN EMPLOYER FOR
    7  PROVIDING HEALTH CARE SERVICES TO ITS  EMPLOYEES,  MAY  BE  OPERATED  BY
    8  LEGAL  ENTITIES  FORMED UNDER THE LAWS OF NEW YORK WHOSE STOCKHOLDERS OR
    9  MEMBERS, AS APPLICABLE, ARE NOT  NATURAL  PERSONS  AND  WHOSE  PRINCIPAL
   10  STOCKHOLDERS  AND MEMBERS, AS APPLICABLE, AND CONTROLLING PERSONS COMPLY
   11  WITH ALL APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION AND DEMONSTRATE, TO THE
   12  SATISFACTION OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH  PLANNING  COUNCIL,  SUFFI-
   13  CIENT  EXPERIENCE  AND  EXPERTISE IN DELIVERING HIGH QUALITY HEALTH CARE
   14  SERVICES. SUCH DIAGNOSTIC AND TREATMENT CENTERS SHALL BE REFERRED TO  IN
   15  THIS SECTION AS "CONVENIENT CARE CLINICS". FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SUBDIVI-
   16  SION,  THE  PUBLIC  HEALTH  AND  HEALTH PLANNING COUNCIL SHALL ADOPT AND
   17  AMEND RULES AND REGULATIONS, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY INCONSISTENT  PROVISION
   18  OF  THIS SECTION, TO ADDRESS ANY MATTER IT DEEMS PERTINENT TO THE ESTAB-
   19  LISHMENT AND OPERATION OF CONVENIENT CARE CLINICS;  PROVIDED  THAT  SUCH
   20  RULES  AND  REGULATIONS SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, PROVISIONS
   21  GOVERNING OR RELATING TO: (I) ANY DIRECT OR INDIRECT CHANGES  OR  TRANS-

        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD00922-08-1

       S. 3673--A                          2

    1  FERS  OF  OWNERSHIP INTERESTS OR VOTING RIGHTS IN SUCH ENTITIES OR THEIR
    2  STOCKHOLDERS OR MEMBERS, AS APPLICABLE, AND PROVIDE  FOR  PUBLIC  HEALTH
    3  AND HEALTH PLANNING COUNCIL APPROVAL OF ANY CHANGE IN CONTROLLING INTER-
    4  ESTS,  PRINCIPAL  STOCKHOLDERS,  CONTROLLING  PERSONS, PARENT COMPANY OR
    5  SPONSORS; (II)  OVERSIGHT  OF  THE  OPERATOR  AND  ITS  SHAREHOLDERS  OR
    6  MEMBERS,  AS  APPLICABLE,  INCLUDING  LOCAL GOVERNANCE OF THE CONVENIENT
    7  CARE CLINICS; AND (III) RELATING TO THE  CHARACTER  AND  COMPETENCE  AND
    8  QUALIFICATIONS  OF,  AND CHANGES RELATING TO, THE DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
    9  OF THE OPERATOR AND ITS  PRINCIPAL  STOCKHOLDERS,  CONTROLLING  PERSONS,
   10  PARENT COMPANY OR SPONSORS.
   11    (B)  THE  FOLLOWING  PROVISIONS  OF  THIS  SECTION  SHALL NOT APPLY TO
   12  CONVENIENT CARE CLINICS OPERATED PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION: (I) PARA-
   13  GRAPH (B) OF SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION, RELATING TO STOCKHOLDERS
   14  AND MEMBERS; (II) PARAGRAPH (C) OF SUBDIVISION  FOUR  OF  THIS  SECTION,
   15  RELATING  TO  THE DISPOSITION OF STOCK OR VOTING RIGHTS; AND (III) PARA-
   16  GRAPH (E) OF SUBDIVISION FOUR OF THIS SECTION, RELATING TO THE OWNERSHIP
   17  OF STOCK OR MEMBERSHIP.
   18    (C) A CONVENIENT CARE CLINIC SHALL BE DEEMED  TO  BE  A  "HEALTH  CARE
   19  PROVIDER"  FOR  THE PURPOSES OF TITLE TWO-D OF ARTICLE TWO OF THIS CHAP-
   20  TER. A PRESCRIBER PRACTICING IN A CONVENIENT CARE CLINIC  SHALL  NOT  BE
   21  DEEMED TO BE IN THE EMPLOY OF A PHARMACY OR PRACTICING IN A HOSPITAL FOR
   22  PURPOSES  OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF SECTION SIXTY-EIGHT HUNDRED SEVEN OF THE
   23  EDUCATION LAW.
   24    (D) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROMULGATE REGULATIONS FOR CONVENIENT  CARE
   25  CLINICS,  WHICH MAY BE DIFFERENT FROM THE REGULATIONS OTHERWISE APPLICA-
   26  BLE TO DIAGNOSTIC OR TREATMENT CENTERS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT  LIMITED  TO:
   27  DESIGNATING OR LIMITING THE DIAGNOSES AND SERVICES THAT MAY BE PROVIDED;
   28  AND  REQUIREMENTS  OR GUIDELINES FOR ADVERTISING AND SIGNAGE, DISCLOSURE
   29  OF OWNERSHIP INTERESTS, INFORMED CONSENT, RECORD KEEPING,  REFERRAL  FOR
   30  TREATMENT,  CASE REPORTING TO THE PATIENT'S PRIMARY CARE OR OTHER HEALTH
   31  CARE PROVIDERS, DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, FIXTURES, AND EQUIPMENT. IN MAKING
   32  REGULATIONS UNDER THIS SECTION, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL (I) CONSULT  WITH
   33  A WORKGROUP INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO REPRESENTATIVES OF PROFESSIONAL
   34  SOCIETIES  OF  APPROPRIATE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS, INCLUDING THOSE IN
   35  PRIMARY CARE AND OTHER SPECIALITIES; AND  (II)  PROMOTE  AND  STRENGTHEN
   36  PRIMARY  CARE;  THE  INTEGRATION OF SERVICES PROVIDED BY CONVENIENT CARE
   37  CLINICS WITH THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE PATIENT'S  OTHER  HEALTH  CARE
   38  PROVIDERS;  AND  THE  REFERRAL  OF  PATIENTS  TO APPROPRIATE HEALTH CARE
   39  PROVIDERS, INCLUDING APPROPRIATE TRANSMISSION OF PATIENT HEALTH RECORDS.
   40    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.