Chapter 614 of 2006 S.8238 (HANNON) This chapter amends the Public Health Law by establishing Emergency Medical Services for Children Act (EMSC). This provides a statutory foundation for the State Emergency Medical Services for Children Program using funds provided by a Federal grant. The new Article 30-C of the Public Health law has been established and will provide recognition and treatment of children’s sudden illness and injury. It will further enhance the role of the existing State Emergency Medical Services for Children Advisory Committee ("EMSC Committee") within the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services (in the Department of Health). The result is a new State EMSC Program, which will follow the Federal Emergency Medical Services for Children initiative. This is based upon Federal Guidelines which are jointly administered by the US Department of Health and Human Services and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and designed to meet the specific needs of New York State’s Children. This law was signed by the Governor on 08/16/06; it will take effect immediately.

Chapter 588 of 2006 S.4927-A (HANNON) This law authorizes the creation of a pilot program of comprehensive hospice and palliative care services for children, with life-limiting illnesses, and will address the medical, psychosocial and spiritual aspects of care, to allow such children to be cared for at home rather than in an institutional setting. Services will be provided by licensed certified hospice workers, working collaboratively with a licensed, certified home health agencies and shall include, but are not limited to: care coordination, social work, counseling, expressive therapies (e.g. child life specialist, music therapist, or art therapist), spiritual care, respite and bereavement services. The law allows children to receive curative treatment and comprehensive hospice and palliative care services at home outside of the six-month terminal prognosis. It requires providers of these programs to create a report on the impact of this increased capacity, which will be delivered to the Governor, the Senate and the Assembly on, or before, December 31, 2008. This chapter was signed by the Governor on August 16, 2006; it shall take effect immediately.

Chapter 331 of 2006 S.6630 (HANNON) This law technically amends and makes corrections to Chapter 769 of the Laws of 2005, which requires a review of the State and Federal criminal histories of employees and potential employees of nursing homes home health care agencies in the State. With this law, the definition now will include persons employed or used by a provider (including temporary employees) who provide direct care or supervision to patients. It also creates consistency between State and Federal standards for obtaining and maintaining criminal history information. The Governor signed this legislation into law on July 26, 2006. It is effective immediately; however, the required implementation will not go into effect until September 1, 2006 to allow DOH a reasonable amount of time to implement the program.

Chapter 387 of 2006 S.7717-A (HANNON) This law provides support for financially distressed hospitals that have existing capital indebtedness under the former "Secured Hospital Revenue Bond Program". Through this legislation, these hospitals may now realize a savings by the refinancing of their existing debt. Established in 1985, the Secured Hospital Revenue Bond Program was to assist certain hospitals, identified by the Department of Health, that were providing health care services to medically under-served communities; a disproportionate share of the services were to uninsured or indigent patients and the facility needed to demonstrate severe financial distress. The program expired on March 1, 1998. Outstanding bonds were not affected by this sunset, but no new bonds could be issued; existing bonds could not be refinanced. This law now allows certain hospitals to refinance their debt, decrease annual payments and ultimately become more competitive in their markets. The Governor signed this bill into law on July 26, 2006; it was effective immediately.

Chapter 146 of 2006 S.8067 (HANNON) This bill extends the Commissioner of Health’s ability to award grants to certified home health agencies (CHHAs) so that they can afford to subsidize care that is provided to medically indigent patients. Specifically, it extends from June 30, 2006 to June 30, 2007, the provisions of the Public Health Law authorizing bad debt and charity care allowances for certified home health care agencies, when they provide uncompensated care. The Governor signed this bill into law on 07/07/06; it became effective immediately.

Chapter 84 of 2006 S.6506 (FARLEY) This chapter will amend the Public Health Law and Chapter 337 of the Laws of 2002, which amended the Public Health Law by establishing a Health Care Practitioner Volunteer Pilot Program. This new legislation continues this program making the statute permanent. Legislative findings accompanying Chapter 337 of the Law of 2002 noted the need for free basic primary health care services for the uninsured, and underinsured. At that time, retired and active physicians and other medical professionals in Schenectady were seeking to volunteer their professional services to provide such care. Following adoption of that law, the State Department of Health approved establishment of a "free clinic" in Schenectady. Since its inception, the Schenectady program has seen over 3,500 patients and has delivered free medical care, lab tests, and medications valued at over one million dollars. Most (61%) of its patients are unemployed and 95% have no insurance coverage. Volunteers donated over 6,200 hours of service (Physicians donated over 2,300 of these hours, and registered nurses nearly 2,000 hours). The Schenectady program has been featured in newspaper articles about successful alternative health care delivery systems. This act shall take effect immediately.

Chapter 683 of the laws of 2006 S.7001-C (ALESI) This chapter amends the Public Health Law by requiring that at least one functional cardiac automated external defibrillator (AED) be made available in places of public assembly. It further requires that at least one employee or volunteer of such a facility be trained in its proper operation and use and be present at each facility function. Sudden cardiac arrest claims an estimated 250,000 lives every year; less than one in twenty victims survive. However, the chance of survival is greatly increased by the administration of an AED. The American Heart Association estimates that as many as 100,000 deaths could be prevented each year through the wide spread use of defibrillator, which are a highly effective means of saving lives. This legislation corrects technical flaws found earlier legislation by adequately defining what constitutes "place of public assembly" and it specifies that (AEDs) should be made available in places of public assembly. This law will tie the placement and use of defibrillators to the statutory standards established by the Department of Health and ensure that there is sufficient time for implementation (one year from enactment). It was signed into law by the Governor on 09/13/06.

Chapter 175 of 2006 S.5606-A (HANNON) This law will repeal and replace the current Article 35 of the public health law entitled "Practice of X-ray Technology" with a new Article 35 entitled "Practice of Radiologic Technology." This new article creates updates in language by acknowledging that new forms of radiological technology have come into existence. These include: radiography, radiation therapy and nuclear medicine technology, among others. Additional changes include: standardized educational requirements for the practice of radiological technology, which will be moved from statute to regulation in accordance with national accrediting standards, the establishment of nuclear medicine technologist licensure, creating language to require that radiography include the intravascular administration of contrast media, it adds two new seats on the Radiological Advisory Board (nuclear medicine technologists licensed under the new Article 35) and it allows the Department of Health to require licensees to complete continuing education credits as a condition of their registration or certification. This law was signed by the Governor on July 26, 2006; it shall take effect one year after it shall have become law, the provisions relating to contrast media shall take effect 180 days after it shall have become a law.

Chapter 618 of 2006 S.7718-A (HANNON) This law permits registered physician assistants and certified nurse practitioners to supervise the withdrawing of blood by designated health personnel for the purpose of conducting a test of blood for the presence of alcohol or drugs in a hospital emergency room upon the request of police officer. Currently, the Vehicle and Traffic Law allows only physicians to supervise the conducting a blood-alcohol test. This law originated from an accident that took place in 2002, when the vehicle of Olympian Jack Shea was struck, and Mr. Shea was subsequently killed, by an alleged drunk driver in Lake Placid. The driver was brought to Adirondack Medical Center’s Emergency Department, where a physician’s assistant in charge of the emergency department, ordered an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) to withdraw the driver’s blood for the purpose of an alcohol test. Because the existing law required that the order to withdraw blood must be ordered and supervised by a physician, the driver in this incident was able to have the results of the blood alcohol test suppressed in court. This law was signed by the Governor on August 16 2006; it shall take effect immediately.

Chapter 131 of 2006 S.6444 (LITTLE) This law authorizes certain health care professionals, licensed to practice in other jurisdictions, to practice in New York State, in connection with the sanctioned event of the Ironman USA Holdings, Inc. in Lake Placid, New York. This legislation allows licensed health care professionals from other states who volunteer, and are sanctioned by Ironman USA Holdings, Inc., to perform services for the athletes. The Governor enacted this law on July 19, 2006; it shall take effect immediately.

Chapter 218 of 2006 S.6786 (JOHNSON) This law amends Chapter 572 of the Laws of 1994, which amends the Public Health Law, to requests for Emergency Medical Service (EMS) in Suffolk County. This law continues to extend the original legislation, which was due to expire in January. The original law was enacted at a time when municipalities requested the authority to establish local ordinances to outlaw for-profit ambulance units from responding to calls that had been dispatched to volunteer EMSs. Previous to this legislation, chaos was created in response to medical emergencies, in certain municipalities. The legislation allowed for the designation of authority, in deciding which providers could respond to radio calls. Since 1994, this type of legislation has permitted the local municipalities to effectively solve the underlying obstacles that led to the confusion. The law was signed by the Governor on 07/26/06 and shall take effect immediately.

Chapter 119 of 2006 S.6976 (WINNER) This law extends Chapter 459 of the Laws of 1996, which amended the Public Health Law relating to re-certification of persons providing emergency medical care. Specifically, it extends a program that was originally enacted as an alternative to the written examination required of EMTs and AEMTs. This program has been extended to permit the continuation of an alternative recertification process which has been successful in rural areas. The law was signed by the Governor on 07/05/06; it is effective immediately and sunsets on July 1, 2011.

Chapter 325 of 2006 S.6365-A (ALESI) This chapter amends the Public Health Law, in creating alternative demonstration programs for non hospital orders to not resuscitate. In Monroe and Onondaga counties, a new form known as the "Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (MOLST)" has been introduced by professional emergency medical (EMS) personnel, in the non-hospital field, to use it as an alternative to the Do Not Resuscitate Form (DNR). The MOLST form permits an individual to instruct that they are not to be intubated by EMSs in these counties. Further, the legislation permits alternative non-hospital DNR forms, such as MOLST, to specifically include "do-not-intubate orders." This legislation excludes persons with mental retardation, developmental disabilities, or mental illnesses; it protects those who are incapable of making their own health care decisions from using the alternative forms within the non-hospital setting. This law was signed by the Governor on 07/26/06; it shall take effect immediately.

Chapter 412 of 2006 S.8145 (HANNON) This law increases the aggregate amount of hospital and nursing home project bonds, notes and other obligations that the Medical Care Facilities Finance Agency ("MCFA") may issue to $13.4 billion. Currently, the Dormitory Authority, as successor to the Medical Care Facilities Finance Agency, only has the authority to issue such project bonds, notes or other obligations in an aggregate amount of $12.6 billion. The Dormitory Authority the Authority is seeking additional bond authorization at this time, to ensure that it will be able to meet the needs of all its private not-for-profit health-care clients on a timely basis. They predict that future projects requiring bond financing could total approximately $809 million, exceeding the current remaining capacity of approximately $371 million available under the current cap. The Governor signed this legislation into law on July 26, 2006; it was effective immediately.

Chapter 700 of 2006 S.7494-A (HANNON) This law will raise the current bed cap on the number of residential health care facility beds that are set aside for Continuing Care Retirement Communities ("CCRCs") from 1,000 to 2,000. In addition, the bill also provides that a not-for-profit CCRC operator may receive approval from the State Department of Health ("DOH") if they have either the current requirement of at least 25% of entrance fees received for at least 60% of proposed units; or at least 10% of entrance fees received for at least 70% of the proposed units. The bill further requires DOH to conduct a review of duplicative laws, rules and regulations pertaining to shared components of a CCRC and report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature by January 15, 2007. This bill passed both houses of the Legislature in June of this year and was delivered to the Governor on 09/01/06. If enacted, this bill would take effect immediately.

Chapter 120 2006 S.6724 (MAZIARZ) This law amends Chapter 433 of the Laws of 1997, the Public Health Law and other laws relating to rates of reimbursement paid to hospitals and residential health care facilities, of the Portable X-ray Demonstration Program to Medicaid Recipients. The law will continue a demonstration project that allows portable x-ray providers to be reimbursed for their services, which will be rendered to Medicaid Recipients in residential and intermediate health care facilities. This also includes those with developmental disabilities. Transporting can be costly and traumatizing for these individuals. The law will require the Department of Health to submit a report on the project outcomes. The Federal Medicare Program, and several other States, allows Medicaid reimbursement for portable x-ray and diagnostic ultrasound services. This law shall take effect immediately; the Department of Health must submit their report by September 1, 2007.

Chapter 442 of 2006 S.8450 (SKELOS): This law creates a comprehensive plan to control fraud and abuse of the New York State Medicaid system. The Federal General Accounting Office estimates that 10 percent of Medicaid expenses are diverted through fraud. This is an amount equal to billions of dollars spent by New York State on its program. This chapter, which was developed collaboratively by Honorable Senators Skelos, Hannon, Meier and Volker, amends the following laws to combat Medicaid Fraud:

0. The Public Health Law, by establishing the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General and provides for its powers and duties;

0. The Executive Law, by designating the Office as a qualified agency for the purposes of criminal information;

0. The Social Services Law, by developing and testing new methods of Medicaid Claims and Utilization Review to improve Medicaid fraud control and to create expenditure accountability and a provider compliance program;

0. The Social Services Law, in relation to creating advisory opinions;

0. The Insurance Law, in relation to requiring the Superintendent of Insurance to annually report on health insurance fraud; and

0. The Penal Law, Criminal Procedure Law and Labor Law, in relation health care fraud control.

This innovative law establishes an Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (MIG), within the Department of Health. The law dramatically reorganizes and reforms New York State's process of preventing, detecting, investigating and recovering improper Medicaid payments. This independent office will serve as the State's single agency on Medicaid fraud and abuse prevention, detection and investigation. This office will be a referral point for cases deemed appropriate for criminal prosecution and will serve as a recovery center for improperly expended Medicaid funds through the collaborative efforts of administrative and civil mechanisms. This law features requirements that explain the detailed powers granted to the Office of the MIG. It creates a culture and focus that prioritizes the fight against fraud and further enables the propriety of New York State's Medicaid Program. Prior to this law’s passage, fraud control activities were often too intertwined to facilitate the recovery of Medicaid expenditures, while prosecuting the criminal acts that were involved with their loss. This law sets forth the following:

0. Creates new criminal penalties for regarding Medicaid fraud and abuse;

0. Authorizes and directs the development of new technology to detect, control and prosecute these crimes;

0. Promotes accurate Medicaid billing procedure through provider compliance and advisory opinion provisions;

0. Encourages active involvement in fraud prevention and recovery efforts by local counties; and

0. Establishes new information management protocols and requirements which further empower the Attorney General, District Attorneys and other appropriate entities who prosecute criminal fraud;

This legislation will achieve substantial savings for taxpayers and it will help to preserve quality health care for New York State's Medicaid Recipients. It has been called the toughest and most comprehensive plan to combat Medicaid fraud in the Nation. This law was signed by the Governor on July 26, 2006; it shall take effect immediately, with certain provisions to ensure proper implementation.

Chapter 570 of 2006 S.4610-A (HANNON) This chapter amends the Vehicle and Traffic Law, in relation to donations made, under the direction of the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), to collect monies to fund the development of a license application and renewal form. This will solicit a voluntary one dollar donation, for the "Life Pass it on Trust Fund." In 1968, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles began its organ donation efforts, by putting forth the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act. That Act allowed one to consent to organ and tissue donation on the back of their driver’s license. Additionally, the DMV has helped to increase awareness of donation by creating links to the Organ and Tissue Registry on application and renewal forms and various other organ donation initiatives. This legislation expands upon the good work accomplished by the DMV and will further support education, awareness, and donation efforts. This bill was signed by the Governor on August 16, 2006; it takes effect 18 months after it becomes a law to leave time for implementation.

Chapter 565 of 2006 S.759 (HANNON): This law allows for deductions which will reduce an organ donor’s Federal adjusted gross income for purposes of the State personal income tax credit. The law adjusts the State income tax deduction up to $10,000, which represents the maximum estimated amount incurred by a living organ donor, per donation. The law was signed by the Governor on August 16, 2006; it shall take effect immediately and shall apply to taxable years beginning on, or after, the first of January next succeeding the date on which it became law.

Chapter 598 of 2006 S. 8312 (SPANO): This chapter amends the Public Health Law by adding organ and tissue donation information to the list of current items that the Department of Health must include in its Health Care and Wellness Education and Outreach Program. This will promote public awareness of these important health issues.

Chapter 457 of 2006 S.4331-B (HANNON) This law will conform New York State’s Controlled Substances Schedules with that of the Federal Schedule of Controlled Substances as listed in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 21, Part 1308. The Federal and New York State Controlled Substance Acts have categorized controlled substances into five groups, called schedules. These schedules depend upon each substance's accepted medical use and potential for abuse and diversion. Differences existed between the Federal and New York State scheduling of controlled substances. The Department of Health (DOH) was not authorized to enforce Federal Controlled Substance Law; by making New York State scheduling consistent with federal scheduling, DOH’s Bureau of Controlled Substances and other law enforcement agencies are authorized to enforce violations of controlled substance regulations. The amendments also enable the DOH to more effectively detect, prevent and prosecute crime. This law was signed by the Governor on 08/16/06; it shall take effect immediately.

Chapter 29 of 2006 S.6696 (LAVALLE) This law will amend the Public Health Law, in relation to the Breast and Cervical Cancer Detection and Education Program. This law increases the number of members appointed to the Advisory Council from 18 to 21, ensuring adequate representation among all valued stakeholders. The law was signed by the Governor on 04/25/06; it shall take effect immediately.

Chapter 76 of 2006 S.5917-A (BALBONI) This chapter amends the Public Health Law, in relation to creating an orderly process for the disposition of a decedent's remains. Previous to this, there was no law that described who shall carry out the wishes of a decedent. Disputes over the right to carry out the wishes of the deceased ensued. This bill creates a process that allows an individual, before he or she dies, to designate a person who will carry out their wishes, regarding the disposition the individual's remains, following their death. The law creates a rank ordered list of people to carry out those wishes in the absence of a written instrument executed by the decedent. The law was signed by the Governor on 06/07/06; it shall take effect 180 days after being signed into law.

Chapter 346 of 2006 S.6957 (ALESI) This chapter will amend the Public Health Law, in relation to increasing certain penalties related to bodies of deceased persons. Due to medical breakthroughs in medical technology with the use of tissue transplantation and organ donation, the tissue bank industry has boomed in recent years. Proper harvesting of tissue makes medical miracles possible to achieve, however, there is a small risk of disease transmission associated with tissue transplantation. To mitigate the probability of disease spread through tissue transplantation, the New York State Health Department and the FDA require firms that collect tissue to screen and test donors for communicable diseases; they ensure that human tissue, and cellular and tissue based products, are processed in such a way as to prevent communicable disease contamination. State and Federal regulations require an extensive donor medical history, the testing of the donor's blood and tissue for infectious diseases, and the sterilization of tissue to free it of viruses and bacteria. However, when human bone, skin and other tissue material are obtained illegally, the medical screening process is circumvented. This creates a very real medical risk. This legislation increases the penalties for activities related to the unlawful and improper harvesting of human tissue, bone and other materials in an effort to deter these types of unlawful activities. The Governor signed this legislation into law on 07/26/06; it shall take effect on November first of the next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.

Chapter 198 of 2006 S.6359 (MARCELLINO) This chapter will amend the Public Health Law, in relation to the number of at-large members appointed to the New York State Toxic Mold Task Force. The law makes a simple technical correction to Chapter 356 of the Laws of 2005 that will provide for twelve at-large members of the task force previously created. Subdivision 4 of section 1384 of the Public Health Law listed twelve areas that at-large members should be appointed from; however the original chapter enumerates only eleven. This minor technical error is now corrected. This law was signed by the Governor on 07/26/06; it shall take effect immediately.

Chapter 573 of 2006 S.2602-C (FUSCHILLO) This chapter will amend the Public Health Law, in relation to establishing new restrictions on the use of ultraviolet radiation devices at tanning salons. Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays can cause eye injury, premature wrinkling of the skin, and light-induced skin rashes, and can increase your chances of developing skin cancer. Studies suggest that children and adolescents are harmed more by equivalent amounts of UVB rays than adults. Often adults are unaware of these hazards. This law enables parents to make informed decisions about their children’s use of indoor tanning by requiring them to become familiar with the added susceptibility of children to potential harm during use. Parents are now required to give consent to their child's use of an indoor tanning facility and those under the age of fourteen are prohibited from using a tanning facility. This law was signed by the Governor on 08/16/06; it shall become effective in 90 days of becoming a law.

Vaccination and Immunization

Chapter 266 of 2006 S.5087-A (HANNON): This chapter amends the Public Health law by requiring hospitals to offer immunization against influenza and pneumococcal disease to all admitted individuals who are aged 65 and older. Specifically, the law requires hospitals to offer influenza vaccinations, between September 1 and April 1 each year, to all patients 65 and older who are admitted to the hospital; the law also requires hospitals to offer pneumococcal disease vaccinations to all admitted patients who are aged 65 and older throughout the year. Further, the law will require hospitals to adopt policies on offering and administering influenza and pneumococcal disease vaccinations to patients. Policies may include, but are not limited to, the following:

0. Procedures for identifying at-risk patients over the age of 65;

0. Procedures for ensuring that high-risk patients are offered vaccinations and will receive (or his or her guardian will receive) information about the risks and benefits of vaccination; and

0. A standing order program for influenza and pneumococcal immunization.

This law allows the Commissioner of the Department of Health to initiate new requirements in the event of influenza and pneumococcal vaccine shortages. This chapter was signed into law by the Governor on July 26, 2006; it will take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become law.

Chapter 189 of 2006 S.8341-A (HANNON): This chapter amends the Public Health Law by requiring all children born on, or after, January 1, 2008 to be vaccinated for pneumococcal disease prior to their admission to day care centers and preschool programs. This law will then remove pneumococcal immunization from the list required for elementary school entry and adding pneumococcal disease to the list of diseases for which the Department of Health may engage in surveillance. This surveillance will lead, but is not limited to the following:

0. Testing of vaccinations and methodologies;

0. Encouraging municipalities to do local immunization programs; and

0. Engaging in general activities that will promote childhood vaccination statewide.

The Governor signed this chapter into law on July 26, 2006; it was effective immediately.

Chapter 544 of 2006 S.8227-B (HANNON): This chapter establishes a Statewide Electronic Immunization Registry for persons under the age of nineteen. The Statewide Immunization Registry will be established within the Department of Health (DOH) and will be an automated, electronic repository for immunization information, which are administered to all persons under the age of nineteen. A similar registry system has been established within the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; the Statewide Registry will become connected to this system. All information reported to the registry shall be kept confidential and released only to users who are authorized by the Department of Health; these shall include: local health departments, health care providers, and schools. Recently, following the events of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, it was noticed that the relocation and enrollment of children into various school systems was facilitated by the well maintained immunization registries of the States of Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. These registries made this process easier and eliminated the potential for re-vaccination prior to enrollment. This chapter was signed by the Governor on August 16, 2006; it shall take effect on the first of December of the year after it shall become a law, providing for the process of implementation.

Chapter 506 of 2006 S.7421-B (SKELOS): This chapter amends the Public Health Law by requiring the administration of any booster immunizations for diphtheria, tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccination to children born on or after January 1, 1994, when entering sixth grade (or comparable level of special education program) on or after September 1, 2007. Between 2000 and 2005, over 4500 cases of pertussis were reported in New York State. In 2003 the number of reported cases of pertussis increased to 11,647; 39 percent were adolescents age 10-19. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the average incidence of pertussis in adolescents aged 10-19 has increased dramatically in recent years. A full, 25 percent of prolonged cough illness in adolescents and adults is estimated to be pertussis disease. Immunity from the childhood vaccination typically wears off after five to 10 years. This renders many teens susceptible to the serious and highly contagious disease. Adolescent vaccination has the potential to reduce the burden of disease in this targeted age group and possibly also reduce transmission of pertussis in the community, providing indirect protection to infants who have not been immunized. This act shall take effect September 1, 2007.

This year in New York State, the Governor, Senate and Assembly worked very hard to come to an agreement on the State Budget. It was the second on time budget in over twenty years, however, it was not without some disagreement. The Governor vetoed a number of line items within the budget bills and questioned the constitutionality of others. Cost containment measures for localities were thoroughly investigated to counterbalance some of the State share for health insurance programs. The Legislature attempted to override many of the vetoes, including new Medicaid initiatives, many of which were considered cost containing measures in and of themselves.

The final budget agreement between the Legislature and the Governor restored almost all of the Executive’s cost containment measures, but it also includes Medicaid increases for facilities throughout the state, aid to counties and New York City, and health initiatives brought forth by the Legislature. The final 2006-07 Health and Mental Hygiene Budget restored more than $490 million to hospitals, nursing homes and home care.

For more details on the Budget, please visit the New York State Division of the Budget’s Enacted 2006-2007 Budget web page at: http://www.budget.state.ny.us/pubs/enacted/enacted.html