Refers individuals to appropriate service providers that are able to provide services to such individual within seventy-two hours for substance use disorders.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
489
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE(Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sens. FERNANDEZ, ASHBY, HELMING, ROLISON, WEBB -- read
twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the
Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Use Disorders
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to referring individ-
uals to appropriate service providers for substance use disorders
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 2803-u of the public health law, as added by
2 section 1 of part C of chapter 70 of the laws of 2016 and subdivision 1
3 as amended by section 1 of subpart B of part BB of chapter 57 of the
4 laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
5 § 2803-u. Hospital substance use disorder policies and procedures. 1.
6 The office of [alcoholism and substance abuse] addiction services and
7 supports, in consultation with the department, shall develop or utilize
8 existing educational materials to be provided to general hospitals to
9 disseminate to individuals with a documented substance use disorder or
10 who appear to have or be at risk for a substance use disorder during
11 discharge planning pursuant to section twenty-eight hundred three-i of
12 this article. Such materials shall include information regarding the
13 various types of harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services,
14 including but not limited to: overdose prevention and syringe exchange
15 services; inpatient, outpatient, and medication-assisted treatment; how
16 to recognize the need for treatment or other substance use disorder
17 services; information for individuals to determine what type and level
18 of care or treatment is most appropriate and what resources are avail-
19 able to them; and any other information the commissioner deems appropri-
20 ate. General hospitals shall include in their policies and procedures
21 treatment protocols, consistent with medical standards, to be utilized
22 by the emergency departments in general hospitals for the appropriate
23 use of medication-assisted treatment, including, but not limited to
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01842-01-5
S. 489 2
1 buprenorphine, prior to discharge, or referral protocols for evaluation
2 of medication-assisted treatment when initiation in an emergency depart-
3 ment of a general hospital is not feasible.
4 2. Every general hospital shall: (a) within existing or in addition to
5 current policies and procedures, develop, maintain and disseminate,
6 written policies and procedures, for the identification, assessment, and
7 referral of individuals with a documented substance use disorder or who
8 appear to have or be at risk for a substance use disorder as defined in
9 section 1.03 of the mental hygiene law. Patient referrals shall be
10 arranged on a specific date, with specific inpatient or outpatient
11 substance use treatment organization. Except as provided in paragraph
12 (c) of this subdivision, such policies and procedures shall require
13 every hospital to offer treatment, including medication assisted treat-
14 ment when deemed necessary, to the individual within seventy-two hours
15 of such individual being diagnosed with a substance use disorder,
16 provided, further, that every hospital shall immediately address symp-
17 toms of withdrawal;
18 (b) establish and implement training, within existing or in addition
19 to current training programs, for all individuals licensed or certified
20 pursuant to title eight of the education law who provide direct patient
21 care regarding the policies and procedures established pursuant to this
22 section; and
23 (c) except where an individual has come into the hospital under
24 section 22.09 of the mental hygiene law, if the hospital does not
25 directly provide substance use disorder services, or the individual
26 refuses services, then [it] the hospital shall refer such individuals in
27 need of substance use disorder services to [and coordinate with
28 substance use disorder services programs] an appropriate service provid-
29 er that [provide] provides behavioral health services, as defined in
30 section 1.03 of the mental hygiene law, or a hypodermic syringe and
31 needle exchange program authorized pursuant to section 80.135 of part 80
32 of title 10 of the New York state codes, rules and regulations, that has
33 the ability to provide services to the individual within seventy-two
34 hours.
35 3. Upon commencement of treatment, admission, or discharge of an indi-
36 vidual with a documented substance use disorder or who appears to have
37 or be at risk for a substance use disorder, including discharge from the
38 emergency department, such hospital shall inform the individual of the
39 availability of the substance use disorder treatment services that may
40 be available to them through a substance use disorder or harm reduction
41 services program and, if requested, refer the individual to the appro-
42 priate services. Such efforts to refer the individual shall be docu-
43 mented in such individual's medical record.
44 4. The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner of the
45 office of [alcoholism and substance abuse] addiction services and
46 supports, shall make regulations as may be necessary and proper to carry
47 out the provisions of this section.
48 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
49 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.
