Senate Health Committee advances a package of public health bills; several referred to rules, finance or first reading

The New York State Senate Health Committee advanced a series of public health bills during its Jan. 21, 2025 meeting in Albany, referring measures to first reading, the rules committee or the finance committee for further consideration.

"Most of what we're doing in the first couple of meetings ... is moving a whole bunch of bills that were either passed in the senate or passed on both houses and vetoed by the governor last year," the committee chair said at the start of the meeting.

Why it matters: The package includes bills affecting access to abortion-related support and training, hospital closure notice and public engagement, Medicaid recertification, possible state involvement in drug manufacturing and importation, consumer labeling at chain restaurants, privacy protections for patients, and expanded pharmacist authority for testing. Several of the bills were described as previously passed in the Senate or enacted in prior years and are being reintroduced or updated after executive vetoes or to establish new statewide standards.

Votes at a glance (each item was moved by the committee; referrals and notable recorded votes are listed):

- S.29 (Sen. Hartham) — Amend Public Health Law regarding reporting of Lyme and tick-borne disease deaths. Motion moved and referred to first reading. (Motion: moved by Senator Jackson; second by Senator Gallivan; voice vote: ayes recorded, no recorded opposition.)

- S.135 (Sen. Cleary) — Amend Public Health Law to expand practical support uses in the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Grant Program (defines practical support for those seeking abortion care). Motion moved and referred to rules. Recorded no votes included at least one named “nay”: Jonathan Steck recorded as voting no; chair recorded other ayes. (Motion: moved by Senator Jackson; second by Senator Holman Siegel.)

- S.195 (Sen. Martinez) — Prohibit sale of candy products that resemble school supplies (Public Health Law). Motion moved and referred to first reading. (Motion: moved by Senator Rhodes; second by Senator Jackson; voice vote: ayes.)

- S.371 (Sen. Scopic/Scoopis) — Create a wholesale prescription drug importation program (amend Public Health Law and Education Law). Motion moved and referred to finance. Committee discussed that imported drugs would need Health Canada approval and to conform with U.S. requirements. (Motion: moved by Senator Jackson; second by Senator Brooke; voice vote: ayes.)

- S.428 (Chair) — Require chain restaurants with 15 or more locations to label menu items high in sodium (Public Health Law). Motion moved and referred to first reading. (Motion: moved by Senator Brooks; second by Senator Jackson; voice vote: ayes.)

- S.555 (Sen. Krueger) — Amend Public Health Law and Civil Rights Law to prohibit photographing or broadcasting images of individuals undergoing medical treatment without prior consent. Motion moved and referred to first reading. (Motion: moved by Senator Jackson; second by Senator Holman Siegel; voice vote: ayes.)

- S.598 (Sen. Hinchey) — Establish a state frontotemporal degeneration advisory committee/registry (Public Health Law). Motion moved and referred to finance. (Motion: moved by Senator Brooks; second by Senator Jackson; voice vote: ayes.)

- S.1226 (Chair) — Require public notice and engagement when a general hospital seeks to close entirely or to close a maternity, mental health or substance use unit. Motion moved and referred to first reading. Committee discussion noted the bill had been passed previously and vetoed by the governor; the chair said statutory language is being reintroduced because an administrative directive is insufficient. Recorded no vote included at least one named “no.” (Motion: moved by Senator Jackson; second by Senator Brooke; recorded nay votes included at least Senator Galvin.)

- S.1438 (Sen. Krueger) — Enact the New York State Abortion Clinical Training Program Act to train health care practitioners in abortion and related reproductive health care services. Motion moved and referred to rules. Committee discussed eligibility limits to New York-licensed professionals and an exception for students in accredited graduate medical education programs.

- S.1617 (Chair) — Automatic enrollment and recertification simplification for Medicaid-eligible recipients (amend Public Health Law and Social Services Law). Motion moved and referred to first reading. (Motion: moved by Senator Brooke; second by Senator Jackson; voice vote: ayes with some opposition noted.)

- S.1618 (Chair) — Enact the New York Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act to permit a state partnership to produce generic drugs for use in New York (Public Health Law). Motion moved and referred to finance. Committee discussion referenced California's ongoing implementation of a similar program and described the proposal as a public–private partnership aimed at lowering costs for New Yorkers, particularly in Medicaid; members asked about other states and implementation timelines. (Motion: moved by Senator Holman Siegel; second by Senator Jackson; voice vote: ayes.)

- S.1619 (Chair) — Amend Education Law and prior Chapter 57 (2022) provisions to allow licensed pharmacists to order and administer certain tests and direct limited service laboratories, including COVID-19 and influenza tests. Motion moved and referred to first reading. (Motion: moved by Senator Martin; second by Senator Brooke; voice vote: ayes.)

What was discussion vs. decision: Most items received brief committee discussion focused on technical clarifications (eligibility for grants or training, federal or foreign regulatory alignment for imported drugs, and whether statutory language is needed versus administrative direction for hospital closure notice). Formal committee action in each case was a motion to advance or to refer to the next appropriate committee or reading; the transcript records committee voice votes and a small number of named no votes (for example, Jonathan Steck on S.135 and at least one no on S.1226 recorded for Senator Galvin).

Substantive concerns and clarifications raised in the meeting included: - Whether the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Grant Program restricts use for out-of-state patients (committee clarified the funding goes to providers, who may provide care to out-of-state patients free of charge). (Speaker: Committee chair and other senators.) - For the wholesale prescription drug importation program, imported products were noted to require approval by Canadian regulators (Health Canada) and to meet applicable U.S. standards. (Speaker: Senator Robles asked for clarification.) - The hospital-closure notice bill was discussed in the context of a prior gubernatorial veto and the chair stated the intent to codify notice and engagement requirements in statute rather than rely solely on Department of Health administrative direction. - The abortion clinical training program is limited to New York-licensed professionals, with an exception for students enrolled in accredited graduate medical education programs.

Ending: The chair closed the meeting after the committee moved the listed bills to their next steps, noting the agenda was completed.

(Quotes and attributed remarks are drawn from committee proceedings; direct attributions use the speaker labels recorded in the transcript.)