STATE OF NEW YORK
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4922
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 9, 2015
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Introduced by M. of A. CURRAN, BUTLER, FINCH -- read once and referred
to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing a
block grant for hospital nursing care and making an appropriation
therefor
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new article
2 28-F to read as follows:
3 ARTICLE 28-F
4 BLOCK GRANT FOR HOSPITAL NURSING CARE
5 Section 2899-b. Establishment of block grant for hospital nursing care.
6 2899-c. Allocation of block grant funds.
7 2899-d. Use of funds.
8 2899-e. Reporting requirements.
9 § 2899-b. Establishment of block grant for hospital nursing care. 1.
10 The department shall establish a state block grant for hospital/nursing
11 care comprised of all state funds appropriated for such purpose.
12 2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, expenditures of funds
13 from the block grant shall be governed by this article.
14 § 2899-c. Allocation of block grant funds. 1. The block grant shall
15 be apportioned among hospitals in this state according to an allocation
16 plan developed by the department and approved by the director of the
17 budget. The allocation plan shall be based, at least in part, on
18 historical costs and on the availability and cost of, and the need for,
19 hospital nursing care in each such hospital. Annual allocations shall
20 be made on a federal fiscal year basis.
21 2. Reimbursement under the block grant to a hospital for its expendi-
22 tures for hospital nursing care shall be available for seventy-five
23 percent of the hospital's expenditures for hospital nursing care.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08054-01-5
A. 4922 2
1 3. Any portion of a hospital's block grant allocation for a particular
2 federal fiscal year that is not claimed by such hospital during that
3 federal fiscal year shall be added to that hospital's block grant allo-
4 cation for the next federal fiscal year.
5 § 2899-d. Use of funds. A hospital shall expend its allocation from
6 the block grant in a manner that provides for enhanced salaries and
7 benefits to nurses employed by such hospital. No hospital shall spend
8 any of its block grant allocation for administrative activities.
9 § 2899-e. Reporting requirements. Each hospital which receives block
10 grant funds pursuant to this article shall collect and submit to the
11 department, in such form and at such times as specified by the depart-
12 ment, such data and information regarding hospital nursing care provided
13 under the block grant as the department may deem necessary.
14 § 2. The sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000), or so much thereof
15 as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the department of health
16 from any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to the credit
17 of the state purposes account not otherwise appropriated for services
18 and expenses of the department for the purposes of carrying out the
19 provisions of this act. Such sum shall be payable on the audit and
20 warrant of the state comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by
21 the commissioner of health, or his duly designated representative in the
22 manner provided by law.
23 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
