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BILL NUMBER:S5356D

TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to certification of certified registered nurse anesthetists

PURPOSE:

The bill provides for the certification by the education department of certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA).

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends the education law by establishing criteria for certification as a certified registered nurse anesthetist, including application filing, license requirements, education and certification fees.

This provision prohibits any individual other than certified persons from using the title "certified registered nurse anesthetist". Those currently practicing as certified registered nurse anesthetists would be "grandfathered" in order to include them under this act.

This act does not apply to existing laws, rules, regulations or certification standards. The Commissioner is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to implement the CRNA certification.

Section 2 sets forth the effective date.

JUSTIFICATION:

CRNAs play an essential role in providing high-quality, cost-effective care. They provide anesthesia services to all categories of patients, all types of surgical procedures and in all practice settings.

Protecting the title of certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) is necessary to maintain safe patient care and to ensure that only those who are properly educated and qualified are performing CRNA services. Competencies for CRNA practice have been nationally validated and recognized. Numerous studies have demonstrated that CRNA practice represents the highest level of safe quality care at the lowest cost to the patient and the system. Furthermore, with the health care environment growing increasingly complex due to new technologies and treatment modalities, title recognition for CRNAs is essential for the public's protection.

This bill would protect the title "certified registered nurse anesthetist" and the designation "CRNA" to ensure that only those properly educated and prepared to be certified registered nurse anesthetists hold themselves out as such. The state would be able to identify those nurses who have been properly educated to provide specialized care and prohibit health care facilities from inappropriately utilizing unqualified persons in the CRNA role.

 Specifically, enacting this legislation will better enable the State Education Department to investigate claims of unlicensed practice and thus help the Department to fully protect the public from professional misconduct in this specialty area.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

This is a new bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect 180 days after it shall have become law, except that subdivision 2 of section 6911 of the Education Law, as added by section one of this act shall take effect three years after this act shall have become a law.

Text

STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________

5356--D

2011-2012 Regular Sessions

IN SENATE

May 11, 2011
___________

Introduced  by  Sens. YOUNG, GRISANTI -- read twice and ordered printed,
  and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher  Education
  --  committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended
  and recommitted to said committee -- recommitted to the  Committee  on
  Higher Education in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee
  discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
  to  said  committee  --  committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered
  reprinted as amended and recommitted to said  committee  --  committee
  discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
  to said committee

AN  ACT  to  amend  the  education  law, in relation to certification of
  certified registered nurse anesthetists

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

  Section  1.  The education law is amended by adding a new section 6911
to read as follows:
  S 6911. CERTIFICATION OF CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE  ANESTHETISTS.  1.
FOR  ISSUANCE  OF A CERTIFICATE AS A CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHE-
TIST, THE APPLICANT SHALL FULFILL THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS:
  (A) APPLICATION: FILE AN APPLICATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT;
  (B) LICENSE: BE LICENSED AS A REGISTERED  PROFESSIONAL  NURSE  IN  THE
STATE;
  (C)  EDUCATION:  (I)  HAVE  SATISFACTORILY  COMPLETED  AN  EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAM WHICH IS DESIGNED AND CONDUCTED TO PREPARE GRADUATES TO PRACTICE
IN THE SPECIALTY AREA OF NURSE ANESTHESIA;  AND  IS  REGISTERED  BY  THE
DEPARTMENT  OR  IN A PROGRAM ACCREDITED BY A NATIONAL BODY RECOGNIZED BY
THE DEPARTMENT OR DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT TO BE THE EQUIVALENT; AND
(II) SUBMIT EVIDENCE OF CURRENT CERTIFICATION OR  RECERTIFICATION  BY  A
NATIONAL CERTIFYING BODY, RECOGNIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT;
  (D)  FEES: PAY A FEE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF FIFTY DOLLARS FOR AN INITIAL
CERTIFICATE AUTHORIZING NURSE ANESTHESIA PRACTICE AND A TRIENNIAL REGIS-

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD11445-14-2
S. 5356--D                          2

TRATION FEE OF  THIRTY  DOLLARS.  AFTER  A  CERTIFIED  REGISTERED  NURSE
ANESTHETIST'S  INITIAL  REGISTRATION,  REGISTRATION  UNDER  THIS SECTION
SHALL BE COTERMINOUS WITH THE CERTIFIED REGISTERED  NURSE  ANESTHETIST'S
REGISTRATION AS A REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL NURSE.
  2.  ONLY  A  PERSON  CERTIFIED  UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL USE THE TITLE
"CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST".
  3. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY TO ANY  ACT  AUTHOR-
IZED BY ANY OTHER LAW, RULE, REGULATION OR CERTIFICATION.
  4.  THE COMMISSIONER IS AUTHORIZED TO PROMULGATE REGULATIONS SOLELY TO
IMPLEMENT THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS SET FORTH  IN  THIS  SECTION.    THE
COMMISSIONER  IS  NOT AUTHORIZED TO PROMULGATE REGULATIONS TO DEFINE THE
PRACTICE OF A CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST.  THE  COMMISSIONER
IS  AUTHORIZED  TO  PROMULGATE  REGULATIONS  LIMITED ONLY TO THE CERTIF-
ICATION PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION TO ISSUE A CERTIFICATE.   NOTHING  IN
THIS  SECTION  SHALL  BE CONSTRUED TO ALTER OR DEFINE THE SCOPE OF PRAC-
TICE.
  S 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
it shall have become a law, except that subdivision 2 of section 6911 of
the education law, as added by section one of this act shall take effect
three years after this act shall have become a law.