Establishes the office of hospice and palliative care access and quality to provide expertise and input on hospice and palliative care policy development and regulation.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4717
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 5, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BURDICK -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing the
office of hospice and palliative care access and quality
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 section
2 4003 to read as follows:
3 § 4003. Director of hospice and palliative care access and quality. 1.
4 The office of hospice and palliative care access and quality is hereby
5 created within the department. The commissioner shall appoint a director
6 of the office and may employ such assistants and personnel as are neces-
7 sary to carry out the provisions of this article.
8 2. The office shall have the following powers and duties:
9 (a) to provide expertise and input on hospice and palliative care
10 policy development and regulation;
11 (b) to ensure hospice and palliative care providers, workers, and
12 patients are considered when new policy or regulatory changes are
13 contemplated, developed or implemented;
14 (c) to develop recommendations to improve patient care for individuals
15 with chronic or life-limiting illnesses;
16 (d) to facilitate communication between the department and hospice and
17 palliative care providers;
18 (e) to raise awareness and access to hospice and palliative care
19 services;
20 (f) to identify and eliminate barriers to such services;
21 (g) to support models of care and service delivery that would assist
22 in increasing utilization of hospice and palliative care services;
23 (h) to work to develop and promote innovative health care delivery
24 models for hospice and palliative care services;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08478-01-5
A. 4717 2
1 (i) to establish and monitor quality and utilization metrics to
2 promote increased access to high-quality end-of-life care;
3 (j) to support community-wide efforts to promote advance care plan-
4 ning;
5 (k) to work in collaboration with the state palliative care education
6 and training council, centers for palliative care excellence, and palli-
7 ative care practitioner resource centers, to assist in providing educa-
8 tion on hospice and palliative care to state, regional, and local
9 personnel;
10 (l) to ensure equitable access to hospice and palliative care services
11 by underrepresented communities across New York state.
12 3. The commissioner, in conjunction with the director appointed pursu-
13 ant to this section, shall prepare and submit a report to the governor,
14 the temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly,
15 and post such report on the department's website, by no later than two
16 years following the effective date of this section and annually there-
17 after, outlining the activities of the office established pursuant to
18 this section, and recommendations on matters within the scope of the
19 director's duties as set forth in this section.
20 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
21 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
22 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
23 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
24 completed on or before such effective date.
