BILL NUMBER: S8561
SPONSOR: RIVERA
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to expanding eligi-
bility for appointment to county boards of health and health services
advisory boards
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To amend the public health law to expand eligibility for those who serve
on the county boards of health
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of the bill amends subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 343 of the
Public Health Law, as it relates to county or part-county boards of
health; organization, by expanding the list of eligible providers to
serve on county health boards and the residency requirement
Section 2 of the bill amends subdivision 1 of section 357 of the Public
Health Law, as it relates to certain counties' health services advisory
boards, by expanding the list of eligible providers to serve on county
health boards; and adds a new section 7 related to the residency
requirements of board of health members.
Section 3 of the bill provides the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
There is a shortage of healthcare providers facing the State and the
local county health departments are feeling the impact of the shortage
as well. Per current public health law, the local boards of health are
to have three physicians on the board. Many of the local health depart-
ments, especially in rural areas, are having trouble meeting this statu-
tory requirement because there are not enough physicians in certain
areas of the State who have the time to add serving on a county health
department to their already busy schedules.
This legislation would amend the law to make the requirement for health
care providers such that at least one physician serve on the board and
the other two positions for physicians permitted to be filled by a nurse
practitioner or physician assistant. Further, the law would be amended
to allow for a board member from a contiguous county to serve on a local
board of health as long as they do substantial work in that county and
have a healthcare practitioner background.
These changes will allow for flexibility on the composition of the local
county health boards while still ensuring that there is healthcare
provider expertise and will help to ensure that the county health boards
have a full complement of members, which is not the current case in New
York.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

Statutes affected:
S8561: 357 public health law, 357(1) public health law