On April 28, 2008, the New York State Legislature, at the request of the New York State Society of Sleep Medicine (NYSSSM), introduced Senate Bill 8037-A/Assembly Bill 10961-A, which would require the licensure of sleep technologists. These bills currently reside in the Assembly and Senate Committees on Higher Education. Both Chairs (Senator LaValle and Assemblymember Glick) of the committees have indicated that the bills will likely not be considered by its respective committee until the Legislature reconvenes in January 2009.

The delay in legislative action could have posed as a problem for the continued diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders patients in New York since the State Department of Education (SED) previously stated that if there was not a legislative solution regarding the licensure of sleep technologists by the end of August 2008, the SED could begin citing and fining individuals who provide sleep services without the appropriate licensure.

Recently, with the assistance of key legislators, the SED agreed to refrain from undertaking any enforcement action against sleep technologists and licensed health care providers pending the legislature’s consideration of the licensure bill. More information on this issue can be found at the NYSSSM Web site: www.nysssm.org.