The Governor has issued Executive Order 202.15, which can be found here.
Through May 9, 2020, the Executive Order makes the following directives:
- Any local official, state official or local government or school, which, by virtue of any law has a public hearing scheduled or otherwise required to take place in April or May of 2020 shall be postponed, until June 1, 2020, without prejudice, however such hearing may continue if the convening public body or official is able to hold the public hearing remotely, through use of telephone conference, video conference, and/or other similar service.
- For the period from the date of this Executive Order through May 9, 2020, the Department of Taxation and Finance is authorized to accept digital signatures in lieu of handwritten signatures on documents related to the determination or collection of tax liability. The Commissioner of Taxation and Finance shall determine which documents this directive shall apply to and shall further define the requirements for accepted digital signatures.
- Section 8-400 of the Election Law is temporarily suspended and hereby modified to provide that due to the prevalence and community spread of COVID-19, an absentee ballot can be granted based on temporary illness and shall include the potential for contraction of the COVID-19 virus for any election held on or before June 23, 2020.
- Solely for any election held on or before June 23, 2020, Section 8-400 of the Election Law is hereby modified to allow for electronic application, with no requirement for in-person signature or appearance to be able to access an absentee ballot.
Through May 9, 2020, the Executive Order makes the following suspensions and modifications:
- Allows bottled and bulk water product facilities currently certified in in New York to temporarily, if their stock of regularly used labels has been depleted, distribute bottled or bulk water products without an assigned New York State Department of Health certificate number shown on the product label and use labels authorized in any other state.
- Permits a manufacturer, repacker, or wholesaler of prescription drugs or devices, physically located outside of New York and not registered in New York, but licensed and/or registered in any other state, to deliver into New York, prescription drugs or devices.
- Allows a New York-licensed pharmacy to receive drugs and medical supplies or devices from an unlicensed pharmacy, wholesaler, or third-party logistics provider located in another state to alleviate a temporary shortage of a drug or device that could result in the denial of health care under certain conditions.
- Allows individuals, who graduated from registered or accredited medical programs located in New York State in 2020, to practice medicine in New York State, without the need to obtain a license.
- Limits the Department of Health’s review functions to essential matters during the pendency of the COVID-19 health crisis, and to toll any statutory time limits for transfer notices pertaining to operators of Article 28 and Article 36 licensed entities for the duration of this declaration of disaster emergency.
- Allows Protestant Episcopal parishes to postpone any annual election.
- Suspend the requirement that public hearings are required, provided that public comments shall still be accepted either electronically or by mail, to satisfy public participation requirements, as related to certain sections of the Environmental Conservation Law.
- Delays the April 1 requirement that parents must file transportation requests with their school district in order to obtain transportation for their children for the following school year.
- Allows respiratory therapy technicians, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, creative arts therapists and psychanalysts licensed and in current good standing in any state in the United States to practice in New York State without civil or criminal penalty related to lack of licensure.
- Permits funeral directors licensed and in good standing in any state or territory of the United States to practice as a funeral director in New York State upon the approval of, and pursuant to such conditions as may be imposed by, the Commissioner of Health, without civil or criminal penalty related to lack of licensure in New York State.
- Allows persons deputized by the Commissioner of Health to be agents authorized by a funeral director or undertaker to be present and personally supervise and arrange for removal or transfer of each dead human body.
- Allow persons deputized by the Commissioner of Health to be agents authorized by a funeral director or undertaker, or a county coroner, coroner physician and/or medical director for those deceased human bodies within their supervision, to personally supervise and arrange the delivery of a deceased person to the cemetery, crematory or a common carrier, with a copy of the filed death certificate.
- Permits the State Registrar to register death certificates and issue burial and removal permits, upon the request of a local registrar and upon approval of the Commissioner of Health.
