New York City Council     Members

This bill would require the city to provide the services of blood pressure testing machines for public use at no cost. Providing free, blood pressure machines for public use would enable citizens, especially un- and under-insured, at-risk individuals, to routinely monitor their blood pressures and possibly encourage them to seek medical treatment, or make life changes to lower their blood pressures in the event self-testing consistently reveals elevated levels. This law could therefore potentially save lives.

  • Filed (End of Session)

History

City Council
Filed (End of Session)
City Council
Referred to Comm by Council
City Council
Introduced by Council

Int. No. 1174

 

By Council Members Eugene and Cohen

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the placement of automated, self-administered blood pressure testing machines at certain public places

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. Chapter 1 of title 17 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 17-199.1 to read as follows:

§ 17-199.1 Blood pressure machines in public places. a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings: 

Blood pressure. The term “blood pressure” means the force of blood against the inner walls of an individual’s blood vessels.

Blood pressure machine. The term “blood pressure machine” means any unsupervised, automated machine that provides for self-administered testing and measurement of an individual’s blood pressure and expresses that measurement as two numbers indicating a systolic pressure over a diastolic pressure, as such terms are commonly used in the medical profession. 

Public place. The term “public place” means the publicly accessible areas of the following places to which the public is invited or permitted: (i) public buildings maintained by the division of facilities management and construction of the department of citywide administrative services or any successor; (ii) parks under the jurisdiction of the department of parks and recreation identified pursuant to subdivision e of this section; and (iii) senior centers, which include facilities operated by the city or operated by an entity that has contracted with the city to provide services to senior citizens on a regular basis, such as meals and other on-site activities.

b. Blood pressure machines required. Except as provided in subdivision f of this section, the city shall make available in public places one or more blood pressure machines in quantities and locations deemed adequate in accordance with rules promulgated pursuant to subdivisions e and h of this section. Such blood pressure machines shall be readily accessible for use at no charge.

c. Notice required. The city shall provide written notice to the public, by means of signs, printed material or other form of written communication, indicating the availability and location of blood pressure machines in public places. The type, size, style, location and language of such notice shall be determined in accordance with rules promulgated by the department pursuant to subdivision f of this section provided that each blood pressure machine required pursuant to subdivision b shall comply with the statement requirements of section 396-v of the general business law.

d. Reports. The department shall conduct a comprehensive study and submit a report to the council twelve months after the effective date of the local law that added this section and annually thereafter. Such report shall include, but not be limited to, the quantities and locations of blood pressure machines placed in public places pursuant to subdivision b of this section, usage statistics, and the identification of any public places that warrant the additional placement or removal of blood pressure machines.

e. Parks. The commissioner of the department of parks and recreation shall, no later than 120 days after the effective date of the local law that added this section, promulgate rules identifying at least 6 parks in each borough under the jurisdiction of the department of parks and recreation to be considered a public place for the purposes of this section, and determining the quantity and location of blood pressure machines to be placed in such parks, as long as at least one of the parks identified in each borough is over 170 acres.

f. Exception. When the city provides blood pressure testing by qualified medical and health personnel acting within their lawful scope of practice, and such testing is regularly performed in a public place during its normal operating hours, such provision will be deemed to satisfy the requirements of subdivision b of this section, subject to rules of the department promulgated pursuant to subdivision h of this section. For purposes of this subdivision, qualified medical and health personnel has the same meaning as defined in section 3001 of the public health law.

g. Public awareness. Within 180 days of the effective date of the local law that added this section, the department shall conduct public awareness and education campaigns in English and Spanish regarding blood pressure testing.

h. Rules. The department shall promulgate such rules as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this section, including, but not limited to, rules regarding the quantity and location of blood pressure machines to be placed in a particular public place or general category of public place excepting parks; the form of notice in which the availability of blood pressure machines in a public place will be made known to the public; and any information on the use of blood pressure machines that must accompany and be kept with each blood pressure machine subject to the requirements of section 396-v of the general business law.

§ 2. This local law takes effect 180 days after it becomes law except that the department may take such measures as are necessary for the implementation of this local law, including the promulgation of rules, before such date.  

PLS

LS #7349

5/2/16