A 319: Requires cultural awareness and competence training for medical professionals, including two hours of course work or training encompassing minority healthcare issues; provides an exemption for certain individuals; requires hospitals and facilities to request documentation of the completion of training from employees and prospective employees.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 319 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. CRUZ, BURDICK, RAGA, SIMONE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education AN ACT to amend the education law and the public health law, in relation to requiring cultural awareness and competence training for medical professionals The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 6505-f 2 to read as follows: 3 § 6505-f. Course work or training in cultural awareness and compe- 4 tence. 1. Every physician, physician assistant, dentist, registered 5 nurse, licensed practical nurse, podiatrist, optometrist and nurse prac- 6 titioner practicing in the state who provides direct medical services to 7 patients in this state shall, on or before July first, two thousand 8 twenty-six and every registration period thereafter, complete course 9 work or training regarding cultural awareness and competence in the 10 provision of medical services in accordance with regulated standards 11 promulgated by the department, in consultation with the department of 12 health. Such cultural awareness and competence course work or training 13 shall require two hours of course work or training encompassing minority 14 healthcare issues including ethnic, religious, linguistic, sexual orien- 15 tation and gender identity healthcare issues and their impact on minori- 16 ty healthcare. In promulgating regulatory standards pursuant to this 17 section the department is advised to consult with organizations repre- 18 sentative of professions, institutions and those with expertise in 19 cultural awareness and competence. 20 2. As used in this section, "acceptable formal continuing education" 21 shall mean formal programs of learning which contribute to professional 22 practice and which meet the standards prescribed by regulations of the 23 commissioner. To fulfill the mandatory continuing education requirement, EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD00464-01-5 
 A. 319 2 1 programs must be taken from sponsors having the facilities, equipment, 2 and financial and physical resources to provide continuing education 3 courses, approved by the department, pursuant to the regulations of the 4 commissioner. Continuing education may be provided in an internet-based 5 course format as approved by the department. 6 3. Each such professional shall attest to the department at the time 7 of registration commencing with the first registration after July first, 8 two thousand twenty-six that the professional has completed course work 9 or training in accordance with this section. 10 4. The department shall provide an exemption from this requirement to 11 anyone who requests such an exemption and who: (i) clearly demonstrates 12 to the department's satisfaction that there would be no need for the 13 requestor to complete such course work or training because of the nature 14 of the requestor's practice; (ii) has completed course work or training 15 deemed by the department to be equivalent to the course work or training 16 approved by the department pursuant to this section; (iii) has completed 17 course work or training pertaining to cultural awareness and competence 18 which has been incorporated as part of a risk management course offered 19 pursuant to subsection (e) of section two thousand three hundred forty- 20 three of the insurance law, provided that such educational content has 21 been approved by the superintendent of financial services; or (iv) is a 22 medical professional who is on a tour of extended active duty with the 23 armed forces of the United States. 24 5. At the beginning of each registration period, a mandatory continu- 25 ing education fee of five dollars shall be collected from all persons 26 required to complete the course work and training required by this 27 section; provided that any person obtaining an exemption pursuant to 28 subdivision four of this section shall not be required to pay such five 29 dollar fee. This fee shall be in addition to all other existing regis- 30 tration fees. 31 6. The commissioner is authorized to promulgate regulations to imple- 32 ment the provisions of this section. 33 Any person subject to the provisions of this section, who falsely 34 attests to having completed the required course work or training shall 35 be subject to professional misconduct as provided by subdivision twen- 36 ty-one of section sixty-five hundred thirty of this title and subdivi- 37 sion nine of section sixty-five hundred nine of this title. 38 § 2. Paragraph (f) of subdivision 1 of section 2805-k of the public 39 health law, as amended by chapter 477 of the laws of 2008, is amended 40 and a new subdivision 5 is added to read as follows: 41 (f) Documentation that the physician, dentist or podiatrist has 42 completed the course work or training as mandated by section two hundred 43 thirty-nine of this chapter or section [six thousand five] sixty-five 44 hundred five-b of the education law or section sixty-five hundred five-f 45 of the education law. A hospital or facility shall not grant or renew 46 professional privileges or association to a physician, dentist, or 47 podiatrist who has not completed such course work or training. A hospi- 48 tal or facility shall not knowingly grant or renew professional privi- 49 leges or association to anyone required to complete course work or 50 training unless said person has attested to having taken such required 51 course work or training. 52 5. Prior to hiring or otherwise granting privileges to a physician 53 assistant, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse or optometrist or 54 a hospital or facility approved pursuant to this article shall request 55 from such person documentation that the person has completed the course 56 work or training as mandated by section sixty-five hundred five-f of the 
 A. 319 3 1 education law. A hospital or facility shall not hire or otherwise grant 2 privileges to a physician assistant, registered nurse, licensed practi- 3 cal nurse or optometrist who has not completed such course work or 4 training. 5 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.