2023 New York Laws › PBH - Public Health › Article 2 - The Department of Health › Title 2-C - Charles D. Cook Office of Rural Health › 236-B - Rural Health Council.

§  236-b.  Rural  health council. 1. There shall be established within
  the office a rural health council to be composed of  twenty-one  members
  who  shall  be  appointed  by  the  governor,  with ten of these members
  appointed as follows:
a. four members upon the recommendation of the temporary president  of
  the senate;
b.  one  member  upon the recommendation of the minority leader of the
  senate;
c. four  members  upon  the  recommendation  of  the  speaker  of  the
  assembly; and
d.  one  member  upon the recommendation of the minority leader of the
  assembly.
Vacancies in the membership of such council shall  be  filled  by  the
  appropriate   appointing   authority.   The   governor  shall  select  a
  chairperson from among the members of the council. The  members  of  the
  council  shall  be  reflective of the state's rural areas, as defined in
  subdivision seven of section four hundred eighty-one  of  the  executive
  law,  and  shall  include  representatives of health care providers that
  comprise the health care delivery system in  the  state's  rural  areas,
  individuals  with  expertise  in  clinical and administrative aspects of
  health care delivery, health care financing  and  reimbursement,  health
  care  regulation,  public  health,  health  planning,  health  workforce
  education, and behavioral health.
2. The rural health council shall  be  responsible  for  advising  the
  commissioner  with respect to all aspects of rural health care and rural
  health care delivery including,  but  not  limited  to,  the  impact  of
  proposed  programs,  statutes, regulations and health care reimbursement
  policies. The rural health council shall also assist the office with its
  responsibilities as delineated in section two hundred thirty-six of this
  title; contribute to the biennial report required  pursuant  to  section
  two  hundred thirty-seven of this title, and act as liaison and advocate
  on rural health matters.
3.  The  rural  health  council  shall  recommend  to  the  department
  cost-effective  ways  to  obtain timely data on the status of the health
  care workforce supply in rural areas. At least once  every  three  years
  the rural health council shall, in conjunction with the office, submit a
  report  to  the  regional economic development councils on the status of
  the health care workforce supply in  their  respective  regions  to  the
  extent data on the health care workforce supply is available.
4. Staff support for the rural health council shall be provided for by
  the  office  as  provided  for in section two hundred thirty-six of this
  title.
5. The rural health council shall meet as frequently as  its  business
  may  require, but not less than two times a year. Meetings may be called
  by the chairperson at the request of the commissioner.
6. The entirety of each meeting of the rural health council  shall  be
  live  webcast to the public on the department's website, and archived on
  the department's website, for a period of no less than two years, within
  twenty-four hours of the adjournment of the last meeting. The department
  shall provide notice to the public, via the department's website, of the
  availability of the live webcast of each such meeting.
7.  The  members  of  the  rural  health  council  shall  receive   no
  compensation  for  their services, but shall be allowed their actual and
  necessary  expenses  incurred  in  the  performance  of   their   duties
  hereunder.