Requires the county health commissioner to notify certain individuals in the event of an emergency creating an imminent risk to public health and safety.

---

S2754-2013 Actions

• Jan 23, 2013: REFERRED TO HEALTH

S2754-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S2754

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the public health law, in relation to
notifying local officials of the occurrence of certain emergency situ-
ations

PURPOSE:  To require county health commissioners to notify appropriate
local officials in the event of a health emergency. This bill is
designed to facilitate the timely notice to county and local Officials
so that they can put in place the appropriate emergency response as soon
as possible.

SUMMARY:  This law would amend Section 352 of the public health law by
adding a new subdivision 7, which requires that upon the occurrence of
an emergency where an imminent imperilment to the public health and
safety exists, the county health commissioner shall immediately notify,
in addition to those individuals he or she would have otherwise noti-
fied, the chief executive officer of each municipality affected by the
emergency, each member of the county's legislative body who represents
the area affected by the emergency, and each member of the municipal
legislative body who represents the area affected by the emergency.

JUSTIFICATION:  There are gaps in the notification procedures. When
there is a threat to public health all appropriate officials need to be
alerted so they can put in place the appropriate emergency response as
soon as possible. The sooner the public is aware of the problem, the
sooner they can take steps to protect themselves.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:  S.7358-A of 2012 referred to health

FISCAL IMPACT:  None

EFFECTIVE DATE:  Immediately

S2754-2013 Text

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

                                    2754

                         2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                              January 23, 2013
                                 ___________

  Introduced by Sen. MARCHIONE -- 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 notifying local
    officials of the occurrence of certain emergency situations

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


    Section 1. Section 352 of the public health law is amended by adding a
  new subdivision 7 to read as follows:

    7.  UPON  THE OCCURRENCE OF AN EMERGENCY WHERE AN IMMINENT IMPERILMENT
  TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY EXISTS, IN ADDITION TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS
  HE OR SHE WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE NOTIFIED, THE COUNTY HEALTH  COMMISSIONER
  SHALL  IMMEDIATELY  NOTIFY THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS OF THE EXISTENCE OF
  SUCH EMERGENCY:

    (A) THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF EACH MUNICIPALITY AFFECTED  BY  THE
  EMERGENCY; AND
    (B)  EACH  MEMBER  OF  THE LEGISLATIVE BODY OF THE COUNTY IN WHICH THE
  EMERGENCY EXISTS WHO REPRESENTS THE AREA AFFECTED BY THE EMERGENCY.
    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.





   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD03588-01-3