Bill > S05401

This bill establishes a Clinical Trial Access and Education Fund within the New York State Department of Health to provide grants to eligible applicants that help patients with life-threatening or disabling conditions access and learn about clinical trials. Eligible applicants include medical schools, non-profit organizations, healthcare providers, hospitals, health departments, and municipalities. The grants can be used to provide services such as transportation and lodging assistance, patient outreach and education, and patient navigation services to help individuals participate in clinical trials. Applicants must demonstrate experience working with patients with serious conditions and collaborate with physicians and trial sponsors. The program will prioritize patients with financial need, reimbursing those at or below 700% of the federal poverty level for ancillary costs like travel, lodging, and companion assistance. The bill includes provisions to ensure that reimbursements are not considered coercion but rather a means to remove barriers to clinical trial participation. Grantees will be required to submit annual reports detailing their expenditures and efforts to increase patient access to clinical trials, and all reimbursement programs must be approved by an institutional review board and comply with federal and state laws.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S5401