On May 19th from 11:00- 12:30 PM, CHCANYS will be hosting a community conference call with State Senate Health Committee Chair, Tom Duane to discuss strategies to improve and increase HIV testing. During the first half of the call, Senator Duane will join us to present a bill that he is sponsoring, S3293/A7610 Re: Routine Offering of HIV Testing. The proposed legislation amends the State’s Public Health Law in order to expand the number of New Yorkers voluntarily being tested for HIV. Among its provisions, this legislation:
·Requires the routine offering of HIV tests to individuals ages 18-64 in most healthcare settings;
·Preserves written, informed consent to testing but simplifies the process of obtaining it – so much that it can be done in the waiting room as part of a general medical consent;
Requires CDC-recommended HIV information be given to patients prior to HIV testing;
Streamlines post-test counseling for those who test negative to reinforce prevention;
Allows for testing without consent in certain cases of potential occupational exposure;
Expands public health access to HIV information for the purpose of disease monitoring and quality of care oversight.
