AB 1622 An act to amend the penal law, in relation to creating the crime of reckless infection of a patient with a communicable disease by a health care provider; to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring the notification of patients by the department of health if a health care provider is determined to have exposed patients to a communicable disease through reckless conduct; to amend the education law, in relation to establishing as professional misconduct certain reckless conduct; and to amend the civil practice law and rules, in relation to the time period for commencing certain medical malpractice actions

About AB-1622

This bill establishes comprehensive reforms regarding medical misconduct by:

• (1) Creating a felony for medical professionals who infect patients with a communicable disease through reckless conduct, such as re-using needles;
• (2) Requiring the State Health Commissioner to inform all patients if they have been exposed to a communicable disease through medical misconduct;
• (3) Mandate license suspension if it is found that patients have been exposed to communicable diseases through a physician's reckless conduct;
• (4) Extend the statute of limitations in civil suits for medical malpractice until 30 months after the patient has been notified that they may have been exposed to a communicable disease through the reckless conduct of a physician.