Requires diversity, inclusion and elimination of bias training for physicians, physician assistants and nurses as part of continuing medical education requirements; establishes such training shall be a biennial requirement.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5993
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 30, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES, BICHOTTE HERMELYN -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring diversity,
inclusion and elimination of bias training for certain medical person-
nel as part of continuing medical education requirements
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 6524-a
2 to read as follows:
3 § 6524-a. Mandatory diversity, inclusion and elimination of bias
4 training. 1. All physicians, in order to maintain their license in good
5 standing, shall complete biennial diversity, inclusion and elimination
6 of bias training.
7 2. Such training courses shall be taught by individuals who are:
8 a. representative of the diversity of persons served by the New York
9 health care system; and
10 b. academically trained in diversity, inclusion and the elimination of
11 bias or possess prior experience educating medical professionals about
12 diversity, inclusion and the elimination of bias.
13 3. Such training courses shall include, but not be limited to, the
14 following:
15 a. information on implicit and explicit bias, equal access to medical
16 care, serving a diverse population, diversity and inclusion initiatives,
17 and sensitivity to cultural and other differences when interacting with
18 members of the public or other medical personnel;
19 b. actionable steps medical personnel can take to recognize and
20 address their own implicit biases;
21 c. a discussion of the historical reasons for, and the present conse-
22 quences of, the implicit biases people hold based on the characteristics
23 of another;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04774-01-3
A. 5993 2
1 d. examples of how implicit bias affects the perceptions, judgments,
2 and actions of physicians and other medical personnel and how those
3 perceptions, judgments, and actions result in unacceptable disparities
4 in access to medical care;
5 e. the administration of implicit association tests to increase aware-
6 ness of one's unconscious biases; and
7 f. strategies to address how unintended biases in decision making may
8 contribute to health care disparities by shaping behavior and producing
9 differences in medical treatment along lines of race, ethnicity, gender
10 identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, or other char-
11 acteristics.
12 4. Beginning one year after the effective date of this section, all
13 physicians licensed under this article shall complete two hours of
14 training biennially.
15 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 6541-a to
16 read as follows:
17 § 6541-a. Mandatory diversity, inclusion and elimination of bias
18 training. 1. All physician assistants, in order to maintain their
19 license in good standing, shall complete biennial diversity, inclusion
20 and elimination of bias training.
21 2. Such training courses shall be taught by individuals who are:
22 a. representative of the diversity of persons served by the New York
23 health care system; and
24 b. academically trained in diversity, inclusion and the elimination of
25 bias or possess prior experience educating medical professionals about
26 diversity, inclusion and the elimination of bias.
27 3. Such training courses shall include, but not be limited to, the
28 following:
29 a. information on implicit and explicit bias, equal access to medical
30 care, serving a diverse population, diversity and inclusion initiatives,
31 and sensitivity to cultural and other differences when interacting with
32 members of the public or other medical personnel;
33 b. actionable steps medical personnel can take to recognize and
34 address their own implicit biases;
35 c. a discussion of the historical reasons for, and the present conse-
36 quences of, the implicit biases people hold based on the characteristics
37 of another;
38 d. examples of how implicit bias affects the perceptions, judgments,
39 and actions of physician assistants and other medical personnel and how
40 those perceptions, judgments, and actions result in unacceptable dispar-
41 ities in access to medical care;
42 e. the administration of implicit association tests to increase aware-
43 ness of one's unconscious biases; and
44 f. strategies to address how unintended biases in decision making may
45 contribute to health care disparities by shaping behavior and producing
46 differences in medical treatment along lines of race, ethnicity, gender
47 identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, or other char-
48 acteristics.
49 4. Beginning one year after the effective date of this section, all
50 physician assistants licensed under this article shall complete two
51 hours of training biennially.
52 § 3. The education law is amended by adding a new section 6905-a to
53 read as follows:
54 § 6905-a. Mandatory diversity, inclusion and elimination of bias
55 training. 1. All nurses, in order to maintain their license in good
A. 5993 3
1 standing, shall complete biennial diversity, inclusion and elimination
2 of bias training.
3 2. Such training courses shall be taught by individuals who are:
4 a. representative of the diversity of persons served by the New York
5 health care system; and
6 b. academically trained in diversity, inclusion and the elimination of
7 bias or possess prior experience educating medical professionals about
8 diversity, inclusion and the elimination of bias.
9 3. Such training courses shall include, but not be limited to, the
10 following:
11 a. information on implicit and explicit bias, equal access to medical
12 care, serving a diverse population, diversity and inclusion initiatives,
13 and sensitivity to cultural and other differences when interacting with
14 members of the public or other medical personnel;
15 b. actionable steps medical personnel can take to recognize and
16 address their own implicit biases;
17 c. a discussion of the historical reasons for, and the present conse-
18 quences of, the implicit biases people hold based on the characteristics
19 of another;
20 d. examples of how implicit bias affects the perceptions, judgments,
21 and actions of nurses and other medical personnel and how those percep-
22 tions, judgments, and actions result in unacceptable disparities in
23 access to medical care;
24 e. the administration of implicit association tests to increase aware-
25 ness of one's unconscious biases; and
26 f. strategies to address how unintended biases in decision making may
27 contribute to health care disparities by shaping behavior and producing
28 differences in medical treatment along lines of race, ethnicity, gender
29 identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, or other char-
30 acteristics.
31 4. Beginning one year after the effective date of this section, all
32 nurses licensed under this article shall complete two hours of training
33 biennially.
34 § 4. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
35 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.
