Creates adult day services respite demonstration programs; authorizes the commissioner of health in conjunction with the director of the state office for the aging to establish the respite day demonstration programs, based upon adult day health care and social adult day services, which extends the period a caregiver can remain active in the care of elderly or disabled individuals; sets forth definitions; further sets forth reporting requirements. / Sponsor: GOLDEN Committee: HEALTH

Promotes the development, provision and accessibility of telehealth/telemedicine services in New York state; establishes a telehealth/telemedicine development and research grant fund. / Sponsor: VALESKY Committee: HEALTH

Relates to requiring instruction on organ donor awareness in all senior high schools as part of the health education curriculum. / Sponsor: OPPENHEIMER Committee: HEALTH

Establishes the "Safe Staffing for Hospital Care Act"; establishes minimum staffing levels for various health care workers in different health care facilities; requires submission of staffing pans; prohibits most mandatory overtime. / Sponsor: PARKER Committee: HEALTH

Increases the personal expense allowance for residents of residential health care facilities receiving or eligible to receive supplemental security income payments and/or additional state payments. / Sponsor: LIBOUS Committee: HEALTH

Enacts the safe patient handling act to establish a statewide safe patient handling policy for health care facilities in the state; creates the New York state safe patient handling work group. / Sponsor: MAZIARZ Committee: HEALTH

Establishes a synthetic cannabinoid and substituted cathinone surrender program and relates to controlled substances. / Sponsor: FLANAGAN Committee: HEALTH

Requires notification to the local department of social services upon the death of an incapacitated person. / Sponsor: MCDONALD Committee: MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

Changes references to private duty nursing services to specialized nursing services. / Sponsor: HANNON Committee: HEALTH

Relates to coverage and payment for prescription drugs in Medicaid managed care programs. / Sponsor: HANNON Committee: HEALTH

Enacts the "behavioral health and long-term care act"; provides for the establishment of a behavioral health and long-term care plan. / Sponsor: DIAZ Committee: MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

Directs the department of health to contract with community-based organizations and not-for-profit corporations for the provision of outreach, information and educational services to immigrants on the availability of health care services, medical assistance, emergency medical assistance, the family health plus program and the child health insurance plan. / Sponsor: PARKER Committee: HEALTH

Enacts the "minority mental health act" to establish the division of minority mental health within the office of mental health; such division shall be responsible for assuring that mental health programs and services are culturally and linguistically appropriate to meet the needs of racial and ethnic minorities. / Sponsor: HUNTLEY Committee: MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

Legalizes the possession, acquisition, use, delivery, transfer, transport or administration of marihuana by a certified patient or designated caregiver for a certified medical use; prescribes procedures for such possession, acquisition, etc. including certification of patients by their practitioner, and that, in the practitioner's professional judgment, the serious condition should be treated with the medical use of marihuana; provides that possession or acquisition of marihuana shall be lawful under these provisions provided that the marihuana possessed does not exceed a total aggregate weight of two and a half ounces; directs the department of health to monitor such use and promulgate rules and regulations for registry identification cards; provides for reports by the department of health to the governor and legislature on the medical use of marihuana. / Sponsor: SAVINO Committee: HEALTH

Enacts the "safe staffing for quality care act" to require acute care facilities and nursing homes to implement certain direct-care nurse to patient ratios in all nursing units; sets minimum staffing requirements; requires every such facility to submit a documented staffing plan to the department on an annual basis and upon application for an operating certificate; requires acute care facilities to maintain staffing records during all shifts; authorizes nurses to refuse work assignments if the assignment exceeds the nurse's abilities or if minimum staffing is not present; requires public access to documented staffing plans; imposes civil penalties for violations of such provisions; establishes private right of action for nurses discriminated against for refusing any illegal work assignment. / Sponsor: HANNON Committee: HEALTH

Enacts the uniform guardianship and protective proceedings jurisdiction act. / Sponsor: HANNON Committee: MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

Directs the department of health to provide oversight of the transitioning of individuals to managed long term care plans operated by health maintenance organizations. / Sponsor: HANNON Committee: HEALTH

Relates to creating the 21st century workgroup for disease elimination and reduction; directs the study of the severity, frequency of occurrence, likelihood of recurrence, existing animal vaccines and potential human vaccines for tuberculosis, eastern equine encephalitis virus, Lyme disease, human immunodeficiency virus, and others as determined by the commissioner; requires report. / Sponsor: RITCHIE Committee: HEALTH

Relates to the ability of continuing care retirement communities to offer seniors additional service options. / Sponsor: RANZENHOFER Committee: HEALTH

Requires operators of ice arenas in which a resurfacing machine is used to have a certificate of acceptable air quality for the ice arena. / Sponsor: GIANARIS Committee: HEALTH