Governor's Booster Vaccine Mandate
On January 7, Governor Hochul announced a plan that all covered health care workers previously required to receive a COVID-19 vaccination also be required to receive a COVID-19 booster vaccination within two weeks of becoming eligible, absent a valid medical exemption.
We reviewed the announcement and the associated emergency regulations published on August 26, 2021, and clarified with the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) that the applicability of this booster dose mandate is limited in scope. At this time, OPWDD has shared that the mandate extends only to staff of the specialty hospital, as this is the single facility under a State vaccine mandate at this time.
We anticipate the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) will be promulgating regulations. We will continue to monitor and provide updates.
NYDOL Proposed Regulations Regarding The HERO Act
The New York Department of Labor (NYDOL) published new proposed HERO Act Regulations that provide additional information and clarity regarding the workplace safety committee provisions of the HERO Act. These proposed regulations affirm the interpretation that an employer does not have an obligation to create workplace safety committee, but must allow and protect their employees' ability to create such a committee if one does not already exist. Additionally, the proposed regulations provide information regarding other elements of the establishment and function of the workplace safety committee.
