New York Assembly Bill 354 (AB 354), which establishes “authorization” for sleep technologists, was signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo on Aug. 4, 2011. The bill requires an individual performing sleep procedures to obtain an authorization certificate issued by the State Education Department.
The authorization certificate, which is similar to licensure, will be issued to individuals who complete certain education, experience, and examination standards. The standards will be developed by the Department. The bill also requires that the applicant be subjected to the full disciplinary and regulatory authority of the Department and the individual will need to reapply for authorization every three years.
The AASM has been working with the New York State Society of Sleep Medicine (NYSSSM) over the past 10 years to pass this licensure bill. Now that AB 354 has been enacted, the AASM will assist the NYSSSM on developing the regulatory language.
New York is the eleventh jurisdiction to require licensure for sleep technologists. New York now joins California, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington D.C. as the only jurisdictions with a Polysomnography Practice Act, which provides sleep technologists a specific licensure/certification pathway.
The AASM congratulates the NYSSSM and all of our members in New York who contributed to this successful effort.
