Bill > A2414

Introduced Session

This bill requires that the temperature within emergency shelters, rooming and boarding houses, dementia care homes, nursing homes, and residential health care facilities be maintained within a range of 65 through 81 degrees Fahrenheit. This standard would not apply to nursing facilities, or to residential health care facilities that are owned by a licensed health care facility and licensed by the Department of Health, that are in compliance with the federal regulatory standard for nursing homes participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, which requires facilities to maintain a temperature range of 71 to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature requirements under this bill would be restricted to areas of the facilities that are used by the residents or patients. The temperature requirements would not apply to rooms designated for activities requiring physical exertion, or rooms where residents can individually control the temperature in their own living units, independent from other areas. In the case of nursing homes and residential health care facilities, current law permits the Commissioner of Health to waive certain air conditioning requirements if compliance with the requirements would cause serious financial hardship, or if the nursing home or residential health care facility has not been constructed or expanded since August 17, 1989. This bill does not remove these existing exceptions to temperature control requirements.

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John McKeon (D)*,  Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee (on 02/04/2016)