Relates to requiring a medical facility or related services to obtain express prior written consent before the making and/or broadcasting of visual images of a…

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Relates to requiring a medical facility or related services to obtain express prior written consent before the making and/or broadcasting of visual images of a patient's medical treatment

The heading above is this same sentence with its legal opening removed. No words were added, changed or reordered.

Latest action Feb 5, 2026

Relates to requiring a medical facility or related service to obtain express prior written consent before filming and/or broadcasting of visual images of a patient's medical treatment.

Not chosen yet

Where it stands

Passed one of the two chambers; it still needs the other.

Introduced
In committee
Up for a vote
Passed one chamber
Passed
Enacted

New York State Senate

Same as A6954, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Amends the Public Health Law.

Committee

Health · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Health · New York State Senate.

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

Section 1. Adds a new section 2806-c to the Public Health Law. Section 2806-c (1) provides that every patient in a health care facility shall have the right to privacy in treatment and in caring for personal needs, which includes the broadcasting of the recognizable image or speech of such patient involved in a health care procedure within the confines of such facility. This section also offers an exception when such broadcast is for the specific purposes of advancing the health care treatment of the individual, a quality assurance program, the education or training of health care personnel, or necessary security purposes. 2806-c (2) provides an explanation of "privacy in treatment." Privacy in treatment entails that the health care facility must obtain express written consent on a separate document used solely for the purpose of the consent to broadcasting, from the individual receiving treatment in such facility, obtained before broadcasting the recognizable image or speech of the patient in treatment. When the broadcast is for the purpose of education or training of health care personnel, the patient must be informed of and has the right to refuse the broadcasting for that purpose. If the patient cannot reasonably do so due to incapacity, a person who is legally authorized to make health care decisions for the patient or otherwise authorized to consent may grant such consent or exercise such refusal. 2806-c (3) provides definitions. "Health care facility" means a residen- tial health care facility, general hospital, free-standing ambulatory care facility, diagnostic and/or treatment center and clinic authorized under this article, or within an ambulance with all doors closed oper- ated by an ambulance service as defined by subdivision two of section 3001 of the Public Health Law (PHL) or voluntary ambulance service, as defined by subdivision three of section 3001 of the PHL. "Quality assurance" is defined as any evaluation of services provided in or by a health care facility for the purposes of improvement in safety, quality, or outcomes. "Education or training of health care personnel" shall mean a program of education or training of health care personnel or students being educated or training to be health care personnel, and which the health care facility has authorized. "Broadcasting" of an image or speech is defined as the transmission by one of several methods, including by broadcast, cable, closed circuit, Internet, TV or other visual medium, social media, or other system by which it can be viewed in violation of the privacy rights and expecta- tions of a patient. Provided however, that broadcasting shall not include transmission of the image or speech of an individual being treated, transported, or otherwise cared for or attended to by an ambulance service at an ambu- lance response scene, public area, or during delivery or admission to a health care facility, that is captured by news media, bystanders or other who do not have the written consent of such ambulance service or voluntary ambulance service. Nothing in this section shall apply where such recognizable image or speech is produced by a news department or news division and is broad- cast or conveyed as part of a newscast, investigative news program or news report in any electronic or printed form. This section shall not apply to images or speck that has been obtained by professional journal- ists, newscasters or other individuals or entities recognized by section 79(H) of the New York Civil Rights Law. 2806-c (4) provides that no health care facility, as defined in para- graph (a) of subdivision 3 of this section, shall incur any liability under this section for the broadcasting by a third party of the recogni- zable image or speech of a patient involved in a health care facility when such image was obtained by a third party without the knowledge or consent of the facility or its staff. 2806-c (5) states that nothing in this section shall diminish or impair a

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Recorded votes

Vote: Floor vote
NY SenateFeb 4, 2026Result: passed
(62) (0) (0) (1)
Vote: Committee vote · Health
Senate HealthJan 27, 2026Result: passed
(14) (0) (0) (1)
Vote: Floor vote
NY SenateFeb 26, 2025Result: passed
(61) (0) (0) (2)
Vote: Committee vote · Health
Senate HealthJan 21, 2025Result: passed
(14) (0) (0) (1)

Cosponsors

Gustavo Rivera, John Liu and 4 more on Agora

Democratic6

See the full list on nysenate.gov

The sponsor's argument

Why Liz Krueger says this is needed

Under the federal HIPAA law, a patient's private health information is not to be shared, with the exception of those designated by the patient. As such, hospitals and doctors have imposed many rules that are intended to protect patient privacy. Despite this, a reality medical television show on ABC, "NY Med", broadcast intimate details of a patient's health at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. One patient, Mark Chanko, passed away during the course of the filming after he was hit by a sanitation truck. Mr. Chanko's widow, Anita, was already watching an episode of NY Med when a new segment of the show started. As it progressed, she realized that the patient that was being shown, despite the face being blurred out, was Mark. She heard her husband asking for her while in his hospital bed, and saw his eventual death on her television. Mrs. Chanko became incredibly distraught after having to relive the most horrifying experience of her life. The hospi- tal and NY Med did not seek permission from either Mark or his family before commencing the filming, or even before the show was broadcast. Patients have an expectation and a right to privacy when being treated in a medical facility. To broadcast this treatment without permission is an outrageous violation of their rights to privacy as a patient. Viewing the medical treatment, including the death, of a close family member, is traumatic for those who have gone through such a disturbing experience. Therefore, seeking permission from patients, or those who are legally authorized to make health care decisions for the patient, will prevent patients and their families from being subject to addi- tional suffering.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Full history

Feb 5, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO HEALTH
NY Assembly
Feb 4, 2026
Sent to the executive
DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
NY Senate
Feb 4, 2026
Passed a chamber
PASSED SENATE
NY Senate
Jan 29, 2026
Advanced to Third Reading
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
NY Senate
Jan 28, 2026
2ND Report CAL.
2ND REPORT CAL.
NY Senate

Show full history (12 earlier events)

Jan 27, 2026
1ST Report CAL.166
1ST REPORT CAL.166
NY Senate
Jan 7, 2026
Died in Assembly
DIED IN ASSEMBLY
NY Assembly
Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO HEALTH
NY Assembly
Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO HEALTH
NY Senate
Mar 18, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO HEALTH
NY Assembly
Feb 26, 2025
Sent to the executive
DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
NY Senate
Feb 26, 2025
Passed a chamber
PASSED SENATE
NY Senate
Feb 26, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO HEALTH
NY Assembly
Jan 27, 2025
Advanced to Third Reading
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
NY Senate
Jan 22, 2025
2ND Report CAL.
2ND REPORT CAL.
NY Senate
Jan 21, 2025
1ST Report CAL.126
1ST REPORT CAL.126
NY Senate
Jan 8, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO HEALTH
NY Senate

About this record

Summary: The summary comes from NY Open Legislation, the New York State Senate's public record. For more, see How we handle summaries.
Cosponsors: The list shows the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.
Party colors: Parties are shown in the same neutral colors.
Source: From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Nov 2, 2026. About our data

Read the record

Read on NY Senate (opens in a new tab) The official record on nysenate.gov.

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