STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3356 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 27, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. RIVERA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to enacting the lab services accessibility act The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known any may be cited as 2 the "lab services accessibility act". 3 § 2. Section 585 of the public health law, as added by chapter 803 of 4 the laws of 1992, is amended to read as follows: 5 § 585. Definitions. Whenever used in this title: 6 1. "Health services purveyor" means any person, firm, partnership, 7 group, association, nonprofit corporation, business corporation [or], 8 professional corporation, limited liability company, or any agent, 9 employee, fiduciary, employer or representative thereof, [including but 10 not limited to a physician, dentist, podiatrist or chiropractor, either 11 in individual practice, group practice or employed in a facility owned 12 by any person, group, association, firm, partnership or corporation 13 hiring any of the aforementioned practitioners, who provide health or] 14 that assists in facilitating the provision of health related services, 15 including, but not limited to, participation in the initiation, coordi- 16 nation, payment, delivery, or follow-up of such health related services. 17 2. "Clinical laboratory" shall have the same meaning as is set forth 18 in subdivision one of section five hundred seventy-one of this article. 19 3. "Public health program" shall mean an initiative under which the 20 clinical laboratory services are performed in relation to any procedure, 21 test, assay, or diagnostic where one of the following applies: 22 (a) it is supported by public health funds, grants, or awards; or 23 (b) it is reasonably expected to respond to a public health need 24 recognized by law, regulation, the department, or other applicable guid- 25 ance, including, but not limited to: EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02536-01-5
S. 3356 2 1 (i) testing with a heightened need for confidentiality, including, but 2 not limited to, testing related to: (1) a termination of pregnancy, (2) 3 a sexually transmittible infection, (3) antiretroviral preexposure 4 prophylaxis (PrEP) or postexposure prophylaxis (PEP); and (4) drug abuse 5 screening; 6 (ii) testing recommended by the federal centers for disease control 7 and prevention guidelines; 8 (iii) testing with a grade "A" or "B" recommended by the United States 9 preventative service task force; 10 (iv) testing provided to advance access to healthcare and improve 11 patient outcomes for underserved, vulnerable, and/or rural populations; 12 or 13 (v) testing in response to an epidemic, pandemic, outbreak, or other 14 declared state of emergency. 15 § 3. Subdivisions 2 and 3 of section 586 of the public health law, as 16 added by chapter 803 of the laws of 1992, paragraph (h) of subdivision 2 17 as amended by chapter 558 of the laws of 1999, are amended to read as 18 follows: 19 2. The provisions of subdivision one of this section shall be inappli- 20 cable to services rendered by a clinical laboratory [operated] permitted 21 by the state of New York; and to payment by: 22 (a) A legal relative of the recipient of the services; 23 (b) An insurance carrier designated by the recipient of the services; 24 (c) A hospital as defined in article twenty-eight of this chapter on 25 behalf of an in-patient or out-patient of such hospital having been the 26 recipient of the services; 27 (d) One purveyor to another purveyor for actual services rendered; 28 (e) An industrial firm only for its own employees; 29 (f) A trade union health facility only for its registered patients; 30 (g) Governmental agencies and/or their specified public or private 31 agent, agency or organization on behalf of the recipient of the 32 services; 33 (h) A substance abuse or chemical dependence program which has been 34 approved to operate by the office of [alcoholism and substance abuse] 35 addiction services and supports pursuant to the provision of [section 36 23.01 or] article thirty-two of the mental hygiene law on behalf of 37 clients of such a program having been the recipient of the services; 38 [and] 39 (i) A health maintenance organization operating in accordance with 40 article forty-three of the insurance law or article forty-four of this 41 chapter[.]; and 42 (j) A nonprofit clinic, health care provider, or health services 43 purveyor that is supporting a public health program. 44 3. The [public health council] department shall adopt and amend rules 45 and regulations[, subject to approval by the commissioner,] to effectu- 46 ate the provisions and purposes of this section. 47 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.