Requires patient transporters to complete a state accredited basic life support course, in which knowledge and skills in cardiopulmonary resuscitation using automated external defibrillators and relieving airway obstructions is taught.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3344--C
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 30, 2023
___________
Introduced by Sens. SKOUFIS, COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed,
and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health -- commit-
tee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recom-
mitted to said committee -- committee discharged, bill amended,
ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee --
recommitted to the Committee on Health in accordance with Senate Rule
6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring patient
transporters to meet certain minimum requirements
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as "Melania's
2 law".
3 § 2. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 2831 to
4 read as follows:
5 § 2831. Patient transporters. 1. For the purposes of this section, the
6 terms:
7 (a) "Patient transporter" shall mean a person who provides the
8 services of transportation of patients in internal healthcare facility
9 moves including, but not limited to, movements to and from testing or
10 treatment areas, discharging of patients, and operation of transport
11 equipment to escort patients throughout a healthcare facility. It shall
12 only include those persons who hold the job title of transporter.
13 "Patient transporter" shall exclude high-level clinical teams that
14 provide the services of internal healthcare facility transportation for
15 patients with high-acuity, or who present with certain symptoms as may
16 be determined by the commissioner and mobile code teams.
17 (b) "Healthcare facility" shall mean facilities subject to this arti-
18 cle.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07065-07-4
S. 3344--C 2
1 2. A person shall not function as a patient transporter in a health-
2 care facility and a healthcare facility shall not employ or otherwise
3 contract for the services of a patient transporter unless the patient
4 transporter has successfully passed a state accredited basic life
5 support course, in which knowledge and skills in cardiopulmonary resus-
6 citation using automated external defibrillators and relieving airway
7 obstructions is taught. Healthcare facilities shall provide such course
8 to employees and potential employees at no cost to such individual. Such
9 training shall also be considered work time.
10 3. A patient transporter currently employed or otherwise contracted by
11 a healthcare facility who does not meet the requirements of subdivision
12 two of this section shall have eighteen months from the date of enact-
13 ment of this act to meet such requirements.
14 4. Nothing in this section shall prohibit any healthcare professional
15 from performing patient transporter tasks or functions if the person is
16 acting within the scope of his or her practice.
17 5. Nothing in this section shall be construed as a patient transporter
18 duty to assess and act in a situation where basic life support may be
19 required.
20 § 3. This act shall take effect January 1, 2025. Effective immediate-
21 ly, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation
22 necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
23 authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.