N.Y. Public Health Law § 408: Hospitals; admission of patients; in general

§ 408. Hospitals; admission of patients; in general. 1. If in the

judgment of the director of a hospital in the department the number of

patients of the hospital at any time so far exceeds its proper capacity

that suitable care, training or discipline cannot be given to additional

patients, or for other reasons the admission of such additional patients

is impracticable, the commissioner in his discretion, may suspend the

admission of patients to such hospital until such time as they may

properly be admitted.

2. The commissioner shall promptly notify courts and other public

officers empowered to commit persons to such hospital of any such

suspension of admission and of its termination. A person committed to

such hospital before the court receives notice of such a suspension may

be recommitted to another hospital to which he might have been lawfully

committed in the first instance.

3. In the admission of patients to such hospital the several counties

and the city of New York shall, so far as practicable, be entitled to

have in such hospital, patients in the ratio which their respective

populations bear to the population of the state as ascertained by the

latest federal census or state enumeration.