NY State Senate Bill 2017-S393

Senate Bill S393

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Directs the commissioner of education to include communication support services as a vocational rehabilitation service

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education 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 03, 2018	referred to education
Jan 04, 2017	referred to education

2017-S393 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A5042
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §1004-c, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2015-2016: S4256, A5141
2019-2020: S150, A1353

2017-S393 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the commissioner of education to include communication support services as a vocational rehabilitation service.

2017-S393 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S393

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the education law, in relation to
vocational rehabilitation services for enhancing communication support

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

To offer consumers of vocational rehabilitation services in the State
of New York access to communication support services in order to
improve their ability to secure gainful and meaningful employment
outcomes.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

Section 1: The education law is amended by adding a new section
1004-c, Communication support services. This new section directs the
commissioner of education to promulgate new regulations to include
communication support services as a vocational rehabilitation service,
defines individuals eligible for such support and how services should
be rendered, and defines 'communication support services' for the
purposes of this legislation.

Section 2: Effective Date

 JUSTIFICATION :

In New York State, unemployment rates are substantially higher for
people with disabilities. Vocational rehabilitation services are
instrumental by providing employment and rehabilitation services to
those seeking gainful and meaningful employment. The inclusion of
communication support services in the suite of vocational
rehabilitation services offered through programs like ACCES VR could
improve employment outcomes for some job-seekers, particularly those
with autism.

Many individuals with disabilities, including those on the autism
spectrum, may have difficulty with interpersonal communication that
can hinder their ability to find and maintain employment, even when
they possess job skills, higher education, and access to existing
vocational rehabilitation services.

This bill addresses these shortcomings by directing the commissioner
of the New York State Education Department to promulgate new
regulations to rehabilitation services program staff to include
communication support among the suite of services currently offered to
job seekers.

In the context of this bill, communication support is defined as
treatment and services that focus on improving communication-related
skills. These include, but are not limited to, dialog strategies for
initiating and exiting communication of intent, topic maintenance,
dissolving hostile situations resulting from ineffective attempts at
independent communication, preparing, strategizing and organizing
information for written communication, and preparing for upcoming
interpersonal communication situations.

Finally, this legislation requires that these services be provided by
qualified providers.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

2015-16: S4256E/A514113 - Education/education

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None.
 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect January 1, 2019.

2017-S393 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    393
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 4, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. CARLUCCI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to  vocational  rehabili-
   tation services for enhancing communication support

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 1004-c
 to read as follows:
   § 1004-C. COMMUNICATION SUPPORT SERVICES. 1. THE COMMISSIONER IS HERE-
 BY DIRECTED TO PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS TO INCLUDE COMMUNICATION
 SUPPORT SERVICES AS A VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION SERVICE  AS  DEFINED  BY
 PARAGRAPH  A  OF  SUBDIVISION  FIVE  OF SECTION ONE THOUSAND TWO OF THIS
 ARTICLE. ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO SHALL HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH  A  PRAGMATIC
 LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENT OR WHOSE EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS MAY REASONABLY BENEFIT
 FROM AN IMPROVED CAPACITY TO COMMUNICATE SHALL QUALIFY FOR COMMUNICATION
 SUPPORT  SERVICES.  ALL REFERRALS MADE PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL BE
 MADE TO INDIVIDUALS LICENSED, CERTIFIED, REGISTERED OR OTHERWISE  QUALI-
 FIED  UNDER  EXISTING STATE LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS.  NOTHING HEREIN
 SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO ALTER OR DEFINE SCOPE OF PRACTICE  UNDER  EXISTING
 STATE LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS.
   2.  FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "COMMUNICATION SUPPORT SERVICES"
 SHALL MEAN TREATMENT OR SERVICES  THAT  FOCUS  ON  COMMUNICATION-RELATED
 SKILLS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DIALOGUE STRATEGIES FOR:
   (I) INITIATING AND EXITING COMMUNICATION OF INTENT;
   (II) TOPIC MAINTENANCE;
   (III)   DEFUSING  HOSTILE  SITUATIONS  THAT  RESULT  FROM  INEFFECTIVE
 ATTEMPTS AT INDEPENDENT COMMUNICATION;
   (IV) PREPARING, STRATEGIZING, AND ORGANIZING INFORMATION  FOR  WRITTEN
 OR ELECTRONIC CORRESPONDENCE; AND
   (V) PREPARING FOR UPCOMING INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION SITUATIONS.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01979-01-7

 S. 393                              2
 
   § 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2019.

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