New York Senate Bill S03486

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/27/25
• Refer: 1/27/25
• Engrossed: 6/6/25
• Refer: 6/6/25
• Engrossed: 6/11/25
• Enrolled: 12/8/25
• Vetoed: 12/19/25

Caption

Relates to providing information to patients and the public on hospital rule-based exclusions; requires the commissioner of health to collect from each hospital a list of its hospital rule-based exclusions and publish such information on the department's website.

Summary

S03486 would require New York’s Department of Health to collect, maintain, and publish information about “hospital rule-based exclusions,” meaning policies or criteria that prevent a general hospital from providing care it is otherwise licensed to provide, or that exclude certain categories of patients based on protected characteristics. The bill specifically includes exclusions tied to objections under existing public health law provisions, while excluding limits based on lack of equipment, bed space, or insurance denial. The department would have to create standardized, patient-friendly language for the public list and update it annually. The bill also requires hospitals to disclose these exclusions in patient-rights materials and on hospital websites, and it requires certain insurance-related notices to include an explanation and link to the state website. In addition, the commissioner of health would have to report to the Legislature on the prevalence and impact of these exclusions, including whether access to care varies by community and by race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and socioeconomic status. The act would take effect 18 months after becoming law.

Impact

The bill would amend the Public Health Law and Insurance Law to create a new disclosure and reporting framework around hospital rule-based exclusions. It would impose new administrative duties on the Department of Health, require hospitals to furnish exclusion lists, and add patient-notice requirements to hospital and insurance documents. It does not itself authorize denials of care or change the underlying legality of existing exclusions, but it would make them more visible to patients and regulators and preserve any existing liability for unlawful discrimination or denial of care.

Sentiment

The available vote history suggests the bill had meaningful support but also notable opposition. It passed the Senate Health Committee 8-5, the Senate floor 34-19, and the Assembly 94-51, indicating a majority in both chambers but not broad bipartisan consensus. The bill’s findings and structure suggest it is aimed at improving transparency and access to care, which likely drove support among sponsors and supporters concerned about hospital consolidation and hidden service restrictions.

Contention

The main point of contention is whether hospitals should be required to publicly disclose internal rule-based exclusions, especially where those exclusions may be tied to religious or policy-based objections. Supporters appear to view the bill as a patient-access and transparency measure, while opponents likely object to the burden of disclosure, the potential exposure of hospitals’ internal policies, or the bill’s treatment of exclusions related to protected characteristics and reproductive or end-of-life care. The bill also draws a line between prohibited discrimination and exclusions based on equipment, beds, or insurance, which may reflect an effort to limit the scope of the reporting requirement and reduce disputes over ordinary capacity constraints.