Albany, NY – Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-Westchester), Chair of the Assembly Health Committee, today announced the passage in both the Assembly and Senate of her legislation (A.509/S.6230) to ensure children attending summer camps can receive medications and treatments when needed, helping to protect their health and safety while away from home.

The bill authorizes certain camp employees, age 18 and older, to administer approved over-the-counter medications and emergency prescription medications to children when acting under the direction and authority of a parent, guardian, or other authorized adult. The employees must also be acting pursuant to an order from the camp's health director or another qualified health practitioner.

Under current New York law, when a camp medical professional is not immediately available, children are not able to receive even common medications such as pain relievers, treatments for insect bites, poison ivy remedies, motion sickness medication, or emergency medications for serious allergic reactions. As a result, children can go without necessary care or be sent home unnecessarily.

“Parents trust summer camps to keep their children safe, healthy, and cared for while they are away from home,” said Assemblywoman Paulin. “When a child develops a fever, suffers from poison ivy, experiences motion sickness, or faces a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction, camp staff must be able to respond. This bill provides a safe, commonsense framework that allows trained and authorized camp personnel to administer medications when needed, helping children remain healthy.”

“Children should not be denied basic care simply because a camp is unable to hire a licensed nurse,” Paulin said. “This legislation strikes the right balance by maintaining appropriate medical oversight while ensuring that children can receive timely treatment. It’s a practical solution that puts the health of children first.”

Senator Lea Webb, Senate Bill Sponsor, said, “Summer camp provides our children and their families with great opportunities for recreation and community development. At the same time, we know that when children get sick or struggle with chronic illness, it can limit their ability to fully participate and the camp staff are restricted in the support they can provide. Because current law prohibits camp staff who are not licensed nurses from administering any medication, our children are not getting the full level of care and attention they deserve. These counselors are trained professionals, required to complete first aid training that includes CPR certification. If we trust them to respond to a life-threatening emergency, we can certainly trust them to give a child topical treatment for poison ivy. This common-sense bill will close a gap and allow camp employees who are 18 or older to administer over-the-counter and certain emergency prescription medications with specific authorization from the camp’s health director and the child’s parent or guardian. I want to thank my colleague and bill sponsor Assemblymember Amy Paulin and all of the advocates for their efforts on this issue.”

The legislation mirrors a process already authorized in New York for licensed child care programs, allowing designated employees to administer medications with established safeguards and oversight.

“YMCAs across New York provide summer camp experiences for thousands of children each year, and keeping every child safe and healthy is our top priority. This legislation gives camps the vital ability to respond quickly when a child needs routine or emergency medication with appropriate medical oversight and parental consent. We thank Assemblywoman Paulin and Senator Webb for advancing a solution that supports children, families, and camp providers,” said Kyle Stewart, Executive Director, Alliance of New York State YMCAs.

“The New York State Camp Directors Association, a statewide association of NYSDOH-regulated summer camps, has long advocated for this bill. The top priority for our camp members is the health and safety of children, which includes timely access to emergency and other medications when needed. We applaud Assemblymember Amy Paulin and Senator Webb for passing this legislation this year, and look forward to seeing the bill signed into law,” said Todd Rothman, President, NYS Camp Directors Association (NYSCDA).

“We are thrilled that this legislation will help ensure children with epilepsy can safely participate in summer camp activities knowing that trained staff will be able to provide their prescribed seizure rescue medications if needed,” said Jeannine Garab, Executive Director of the Epilepsy Foundation. “For families of children with epilepsy, access to timely rescue treatment during a seizure can be critical. This bill gives parents greater peace of mind and helps ensure that children are not excluded from the camp experience because of their medical needs. We applaud Assemblywoman Paulin and Senator Webb for championing this important measure to improve safety and inclusion for all children.”

“Summer camp should be a place of joy for children, and where parents feel confident their children are kept healthy," Paulin added. "By giving camps the ability to address routine and emergency health needs, we’re making camp safer for children and providing reassurance for New York families.”

This legislation is sponsored in the State Senate by Senator Lea Webb and takes effect 180 days after being signed into law.