NY State Senate Bill 2015-S661

Senate Bill S661

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Requires the office for people with developmental disabilities to submit an updated waitlist and placement report to the senate and assembly

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Mental Health And Developmental Disabilities Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 06, 2016	referred to mental health and developmental disabilities
Jan 07, 2015	referred to mental health and developmental disabilities

2015-S661 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A8476
Current Committee:: Senate Mental Health And Developmental Disabilities
Law Section:: Mental Hygiene Law
Laws Affected:: Add §13.28, Ment Hyg L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S5210
2011-2012: S3167, A6553
2013-2014: S482, A5894
2017-2018: S8378, A4364
2019-2020: S2444, A3620
2021-2022: S5809
2023-2024: S2897

2015-S661 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the office for people with developmental disabilities to submit an updated waitlist and placement report to the senate and assembly.

2015-S661 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S661

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation
to requiring the office for people with developmental disabilities to
submit an updated waitlist and placement report to the senate and
assembly

 PURPOSE :

To require OPWDD to submit a report by January 1, 2012 to the
legislature, and update it every 6 months thereafter, providing
detailed information on the waiting list for out-of-home residential
care and a summary of placement activity relating to persons on the
waiting list for each 6 month period prior to the submission of the
report.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1 of the bill creates a new section 13.28 of the mental
hygiene law to require that OPWDD submit a report by January 1, 2012,
and update it every 6 months thereafter, providing detailed
information on the waiting list for out-of-home residential care and a
summary of placement activity relating to persons on the waiting list
for each 6 month period prior to the submission of the report.  The
bill requires that the report specify placement settings used and note
the number and reasons for those placements that did either failed or

for which the individuals, his/her parent or guardian requested an
alternative placement. The bill requires that the report specify the
type of placements expected to be required to meet the needs of
individuals on the waiting list. It also requires OPWDD to list
funding sources used for placement activity including pertinent cost
information. Finally, the bill requires OPWDD to submit an updated
plan every 6 months for meeting the needs of persons on the waiting
list.

Section 2 of the bill provides for an immediate effective date.

 EXISTING LAW :

OPWDD provides residential opportunities to individuals under its care
Through state facilities as well as by contracting with licensed
not-for-profits to provide such Care. Funds have been appropriated
each year through the budget for the establishment of new
opportunities to meet the needs of individuals who are in need of
residential care.

 JUSTIFICATION :

The waiting list for persons with intellectual and other developmental
disabilities who require out-of-home residential care continues to be
of great concern. Many persons remaining at home are being cared for
by parents or other caregivers who themselves are acquiring
age-related disabilities. This can be extremely problematic,
especially when individuals with disabilities themselves are aging.

In fact, in February OPWDD's "Task Force on Aging" noted that
statewide persons living at home ages 60 to 69 numbered 1,871; ages
70-79 numbered 681; and, age 80+ numbered 320. A total of 27,211
persons with developmental disabilities over age 30 continue to live
at home. It is not clear how many of these individuals require out of
home placement. More importantly, critical information on the exact
size and needs of the statewide waiting list is not readily available
making it impossible for policy makers to plan and budget accordingly.
Furthermore, placement activity appears highly sporadic and hard to
track. Placement plans seem as if they are continually changing.
Increasingly, parents who had previously been led to believe that they
would have a placement for their child find that this is no longer
true.

This has left thousands of parents and families in a state of enormous
uncertainty and anxiety regarding the status of their child or loved
one's current or future placement. This bill will give them critical
information. It will also give the Legislature and others with an
interest in development policy information critical to enable them to
do their jobs.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

2011-12: S.3167/A.6553 - Referred to Mental Health
2013-14: S.482 REFERRED TO MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL
DISABILITIES

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
Immediately.

2015-S661 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                   661

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 7, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. KENNEDY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Mental Health and Develop-
  mental Disabilities

AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in  relation  to  requiring  the
  office for people with developmental disabilities to submit an updated
  waitlist and placement report to the senate and assembly

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a  new  section
13.28 to read as follows:
S  13.28  OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES; RESIDENTIAL
          WAITLIST AND PLACEMENT REPORT.
  THE OFFICE SHALL SUBMIT BY JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND SEVENTEEN,  AND
EVERY SIX MONTHS THEREAFTER, AN UPDATED WAITLIST AND PLACEMENT REPORT TO
THE  TEMPORARY  PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY,
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
  (A) WAITLIST INFORMATION. SUCH WAITLIST INFORMATION SHALL INCLUDE  THE
STATEWIDE  NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS AWAITING PLACEMENT BROKEN DOWN INTO THE
TOTAL NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS FROM WITHIN  EACH  DEVELOPMENTAL  DISABILITY
SERVICES  OFFICE'S  GEOGRAPHIC  AREA WHO AWAIT RESIDENTIAL PLACEMENT AND
ARE EXPECTED TO REQUIRE SUCH PLACEMENT WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR. SUCH INFOR-
MATION SHALL BE GROUPED BY THE AGE OF THE INDIVIDUAL AWAITING  PLACEMENT
AND  THE  AGE  OF  THEIR  CAREGIVER, IF ANY. SUCH INFORMATION SHALL ALSO
INCLUDE:
  1. THE TYPE OF PLACEMENT SUCH  INDIVIDUALS  ARE  EXPECTED  TO  REQUIRE
DIVIDED INTO CERTIFIED OUT-OF-HOME, SUPERVISED, SUPPORTIVE PLACEMENT AND
THE  NUMBER  OF SUCH PERSONS WHO ARE MEDICALLY FRAIL REQUIRING INTENSIVE
MEDICAL CARE;
  2. NON-CERTIFIED RESIDENTIAL PLACEMENT  OUTSIDE  OF  THE  PARENT'S  OR
PARENTS' OR OTHER CAREGIVER'S HOME; AND

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                           LBD03221-01-5

S. 661                              2

  3.  THE  NUMBER  OF INDIVIDUALS EXPECTED TO REQUIRE HOME AND COMMUNITY
BASED SERVICES WAIVER-FUNDED HABILITATION SERVICES AT-HOME;
  (B) PLACEMENT INFORMATION. SUCH PLACEMENT INFORMATION SHALL INCLUDE:
  1.  THE TOTAL NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS PLACED WITHIN EACH OF THE SETTINGS
LISTED IN PARAGRAPHS ONE, TWO AND  THREE  OF  SUBDIVISION  (A)  OF  THIS
SECTION  DURING  THE  SIX  MONTHS  PRECEDING  THE DATE OF RELEASE OF THE
REPORT REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION (C) OF THIS SECTION; AND
  2. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS, WHO ARE NOT INCLUDED ON THE  WAIT-
LIST,  PLACED  WITHIN EACH OF THE SETTINGS LISTED IN PARAGRAPHS ONE, TWO
AND THREE OF SUBDIVISION (A) OF  THIS  SECTION  DURING  THE  SIX  MONTHS
PRECEDING  THE DATE OF RELEASE OF THE REPORT REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SUBDI-
VISION (C) OF THIS SECTION, AND THE REASONS FOR SUCH PLACEMENTS;
  (C) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL REPORT THE NUMBER OF  INDIVIDUALS  WHO  ARE
CURRENTLY  PLACED  IN  A RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM, WHOSE CURRENT LIVING SITU-
ATION IS NOT ADEQUATE TO MEET THEIR NEEDS AND WHO ARE AWAITING AN ALTER-
NATIVE PLACEMENT. THESE INDIVIDUALS SHALL BE DIVIDED ACCORDING TO:
  1. THE NUMBER AND AGE OF SUCH INDIVIDUALS;
  2. THE SETTINGS LISTED IN PARAGRAPHS ONE, TWO AND THREE OF SUBDIVISION
(A) OF THIS SECTION; AND
  3. THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN RESIDENTIAL PLACEMENTS  EXPECTED  TO  AGE
OUT  OF  SUCH  PLACEMENTS  WITHIN  A YEAR AND PLANS FOR CONTINUING THEIR
PLACEMENTS AS ADULTS;
  (D) THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHOSE PLACEMENT FAILED OR WHO HAVE ASKED
FOR AN ALTERNATIVE PLACEMENT, EITHER THEMSELVES OR THROUGH THEIR  PARENT
OR  GUARDIAN ACTING ON THEIR BEHALF, OVER THE SIX MONTH PERIOD PRECEDING
THE DATE OF RELEASE OF A REPORT, WITH CATEGORICAL  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE
REASONS FOR SUCH RESULTS AND ANY ACTIONS TAKEN OR PLANNED TO REMEDY SUCH
SITUATION;
  (E)  THE  COST  OF  PLACEMENTS  MADE  DURING THE PERIOD OF SUCH REPORT
DIVIDED INTO COSTS ATTRIBUTABLE TO SUPERVISED, SUPPORTIVE, AT-HOME RESI-
DENTIAL PLACEMENTS OR OTHER PLACEMENTS;
  (F) THE APPROPRIATION AUTHORITY USED TO FUND  PLACEMENTS  MADE  DURING
THE  PERIOD  OF THE REPORT, INCLUDING THE YEAR OF THE ORIGINAL APPROPRI-
ATION AND BALANCE OF REMAINING FUNDS IN SUCH APPROPRIATION  BY  CATEGORY
SUCH AS OPTS, NYS-CARES OR OTHER CATEGORIES;
  (G)  PROJECTED  FUNDING  REQUIREMENTS FOR INDIVIDUALS REMAINING ON THE
WAITING LIST;
  (H) AN UPDATED FIVE YEAR PROJECTION OF INDIVIDUALS  WHO  WILL  REQUIRE
OUT-OF-HOME RESIDENTIAL PLACEMENT AND A FIVE YEAR PROJECTION OF INDIVID-
UALS WHO REQUIRE ADDITIONAL IN-HOME SUPPORTS;
  (I)  A  PLAN  FOR  MEETING THE OUT-OF-HOME RESIDENTIAL PLACEMENT NEEDS
SHALL ALSO BE DEVELOPED AND SHALL SPECIFY THE TYPE OF PLACEMENTS ACCORD-
ING TO SUCH SETTINGS LISTED IN PARAGRAPHS ONE, TWO AND THREE OF SUBDIVI-
SION (A) OF THIS SECTION; AND
  (J) ANY OTHER INFORMATION DEEMED NECESSARY BY THE COMMISSIONER.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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