BILL NUMBER: S9592
SPONSOR: HINCHEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the workers' compensation law and the environmental
conservation law, in relation to approving notice and proof of disabili-
ty from an attending nurse practitioner
 
PURPOSE:
To authorize an attending nurse practitioner to complete forms for a
patient regarding proof of disability
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one amends subdivisions one and two of section 217 of the work-
ers' compensation law to add nurse practitioners ("NPs") to the list of
attending health care professionals authorized to provide a statement of
disability for a patient for purposes of family leave.
Section one further adds NPs to the list of providers from which an
employee claiming disability benefits may receive a physical if
requested by the employer or carrier.
§ 2 amends subdivisions 16 and 17 of section 11-0901 of the environ-
mental conservation law to add NPs to the list of health care profes-
sionals which may certify that a person is physically incapable to arm
movement sufficient to hold and release a long bow or pre-drawn bow
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Under the Nurse Practitioner Modernization Act, NPs with over 3600 hours
of practice experience may practice without physician supervision or
collaboration. Because this was .a relatively recent change to the law,
there are several areas in the law which must be amended to reflect the
reality of NP practice. Currently, about 25% of New Yorkers receive
primary care from a nurse practitioner. However, in many instances, NPs
are not able to provide certain written certifications or other forms
needed by patients because they have not yet been added to the statutory
list of providers authorized to complete such forms. As a result,
patients can experience delays in certifications needed to obtain state
benefits or disability accommodations because they may need to find an
alternative provider to complete the necessary paperwork.
This bill addresses two instances where NPs are not yet included as a
provider authorized to complete necessary patient paperwork. First, this
bill amends the workers' compensation law to add NPs to the list of
attending health care professionals authorized to provide a statement of
disability for a patient for purposes of family leave. It further adds
NPs to the list of providers from which an employee claiming disability
benefits may receive a physical if requested by the employer or carrier,
Second, this bill authorizes NPs to provide a statement affirming that a
patient is physically incapable of arm movement sufficient to draw,
hold, and release a long bow or a pre-drawn bow. Such certification is
necessary to allow individuals with a physical disability to receive an
accommodation for hunting. In both instances, treating the related
condition is already within an NP's scope of practice; these changes
simply make it easier for patients of NPs to obtain the necessary paper-
work from their healthcare provider.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have
become a law.