S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                        4651--A
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                     April 1, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by Sens. GRIFFO, AVELLA, ESPAILLAT, PARKER -- read twice and
         ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on
         Higher  Education  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered
         reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
       AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to  enacting  the  health
         care professional transparency 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 and may  be  cited  as
    2  the "health care professional transparency act".
    3    S  2.  The  education law is amended by adding a new section 6511-a to
    4  read as follows:
    5    S 6511-A. HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL TRANSPARENCY.  1. DEFINITIONS.  FOR
    6  PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION:
    7    A.  "ADVERTISEMENT"  MEANS  ANY  COMMUNICATION  OR  STATEMENT, WHETHER
    8  PRINTED, ELECTRONIC OR ORAL, THAT NAMES THE HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER  IN
    9  RELATION TO HIS OR HER PRACTICE, PROFESSION, OR INSTITUTION IN WHICH THE
   10  INDIVIDUAL  IS  EMPLOYED,  VOLUNTEERS  OR OTHERWISE PROVIDES HEALTH CARE
   11  SERVICES. ADVERTISEMENT INCLUDES  BUSINESS  CARDS,  LETTERHEAD,  PATIENT
   12  BROCHURES, E-MAIL, INTERNET, AUDIO AND VIDEO AND ANY OTHER COMMUNICATION
   13  OR STATEMENT USED IN THE COURSE OF BUSINESS.
   14    B.  "DECEPTIVE"  OR  "MISLEADING"  MEANS,  BUT  IS NOT LIMITED TO, ANY
   15  ADVERTISEMENT  OR  AFFIRMATIVE  COMMUNICATION  OR  REPRESENTATION   THAT
   16  MISSTATES,  FALSELY  DESCRIBES,  HOLDS OUT OR FALSELY DETAILS THE HEALTH
   17  CARE PRACTITIONER'S PROFESSION, SKILLS, TRAINING, EXPERTISE,  EDUCATION,
   18  BOARD CERTIFICATION OR LICENSURE.
   19    C.  "HEALTH  CARE PRACTITIONER" MEANS A PERSON WHO IS LICENSED, CERTI-
   20  FIED OR REGISTERED PURSUANT TO THIS TITLE.
   21    2. ADVERTISEMENT REQUIREMENTS. A. AN  ADVERTISEMENT  FOR  HEALTH  CARE
   22  SERVICES THAT NAMES A HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER MUST IDENTIFY THE TYPE OF
   23  LICENSE  HELD PURSUANT TO THE DEFINITIONS UNDER THIS SECTION. THE ADVER-
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD06721-02-5
       S. 4651--A                          2
    1  TISEMENT SHALL BE FREE FROM ANY AND ALL DECEPTIVE OR MISLEADING INFORMA-
    2  TION.
    3    B.  A  HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER PROVIDING HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN THIS
    4  STATE MUST CONSPICUOUSLY POST AND AFFIRMATIVELY COMMUNICATE THE  PRACTI-
    5  TIONER'S  SPECIFIC LICENSURE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION. THIS SHALL
    6  CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING:
    7    (1) THE HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER SHALL  WEAR  A  PHOTO  IDENTIFICATION
    8  NAME  TAG DURING ALL PATIENT ENCOUNTERS THAT SHALL INCLUDE (I) THE PRAC-
    9  TITIONER'S NAME; (II) LARGE BOLD LETTERING WHICH SPECIFIES THE  TYPE  OF
   10  LICENSE  HELD  BY THE PRACTITIONER; AND (III) THE EXPIRATION DATE OF THE
   11  LICENSE. THE NAME TAG SHALL BE OF SUFFICIENT  SIZE  AND  BE  WORN  IN  A
   12  CONSPICUOUS MANNER SO AS TO BE VISIBLE AND APPARENT; AND
   13    (2)  THE HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER SHALL DISPLAY IN HIS OR HER OFFICE A
   14  DOCUMENT THAT CLEARLY IDENTIFIES THE TYPE OF LICENSE HELD BY THE  HEALTH
   15  CARE  PRACTITIONER.  THE WRITING SHALL BE OF SUFFICIENT SIZE SO AS TO BE
   16  VISIBLE AND APPARENT  TO  ALL  CURRENT  AND  PROSPECTIVE  PATIENTS.  FOR
   17  PURPOSES  OF THIS SECTION, THE TERM OFFICE DOES NOT APPLY TO ANY PART OF
   18  A GENERAL HOSPITAL AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION TEN OF SECTION
   19  TWENTY-EIGHT HUNDRED ONE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW.
   20    C. A HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER WHO PRACTICES IN MORE  THAN  ONE  OFFICE
   21  SHALL  BE  REQUIRED  TO  COMPLY WITH THESE REQUIREMENTS IN EACH PRACTICE
   22  SETTING.
   23    S 3. Section 6509 of the education law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
   24  subdivision 15 to read as follows:
   25    (15)  FAILING TO COMPLY WITH ADVERTISEMENT AND IDENTIFICATION REQUIRE-
   26  MENTS PURSUANT TO SECTION SIXTY-FIVE HUNDRED ELEVEN-A OF THIS ARTICLE.
   27    S 4. Section 6530 of the education law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
   28  subdivision 50 to read as follows:
   29    50.   FAILING TO COMPLY WITH ADVERTISEMENT AND IDENTIFICATION REQUIRE-
   30  MENTS PURSUANT TO SECTION SIXTY-FIVE HUNDRED ELEVEN-A OF THIS TITLE.
   31    S 5. This act shall take effect immediately.