S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10836
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               July 20, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  COMMITTEE  ON  RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Cruz) --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Aging
 
 AN ACT in relation to enacting  the  "reimagining  long-term  care  task
   force"  to  create  a  task force to study the state of long-term care
   services in this state
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 the "reimagining long-term care task force act".
   § 2. Reimagining long-term care task force; duties.  There  is  hereby
 created the reimagining long-term care task force. Such task force shall
 study  the  state of long-term care services, options and challenges for
 older New Yorkers and reimagine how the state can better meet the exist-
 ing and projected needs of such New  Yorkers  in  ways  that  prioritize
 safety  and  affordability, and enhance the quality of life for those in
 need of such care.   In carrying out its  task,  the  task  force  shall
 consider  the  full  continuum  of  care available to older New Yorkers,
 including, but not limited to,  community-based  services,  consumer-di-
 rected services, independent living, assisted living and skilled-nursing
 facility  care.  The  task  force  shall study the limitations currently
 hampering quality care, both in home-based and facility-based  settings,
 and  consider  potential  models  for improvement. In addition, the task
 force shall study the challenges and issues generated by the coronavirus
 pandemic, including, but not limited to, infection control protocols and
 enforcement, staffing  shortages,  lack  of  federally  mandated  crisis
 plans,   visitation   bans,  and  other  factors  that  exacerbated  the
 pandemic's toll on residents and staff  of  skilled  nursing  and  other
 adult-care  facilities. The task force shall utilize the findings of its
 study on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic to formulate recommenda-
 tions on how such skilled nursing and other  adult-care  facilities,  as
 well  as home care service agencies, can better care for and protect the
 overall well-being of residents and clients in any future emergency.
   § 3. Membership. 1. The reimagining long-term care  task  force  shall
 consist of 22 members as follows:
   (a) the director of the office for the aging, or his or her designee;
   (b) the commissioner of health, or his or her designee;
              

   (c) the commissioner of labor, or his or her designee;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD16781-07-0

 A. 10836                            2
 
   (d) the commissioner of the office for people with developmental disa-
 bilities, or his or her designee;
   (e) two members appointed by the governor;
   (f) two members appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
   (g) two members appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
   (h) one member appointed by the minority leader of the senate;
   (i) one member appointed by the minority leader of the assembly;
   (j)  one representative of the AARP;
   (k) one representative of New York Caring Majority;
   (l)  one representative of the Home Care Association of New York State
 (HCA-NYS);
   (m) one representative of the Long Term Care Community Coalition;
   (n) one representative of 1199;
   (o) one representative of the New York State Nurses Association;
   (p) one representative of LeadingAge;
   (q) one representative of Healthcare Association  of  New  York  State
 (HANYS);
   (r) one representative of the Association on Aging in New York; and
   (s)  one  representative  of  the Empire State Association of Assisted
 Living.
   2. Members of the task force shall broadly  represent  long-term  care
 and senior-related interests, including persons with expertise in senior
 or  long-term care advocacy, persons with expertise in addressing racial
 disparities in senior or long-term care, home care  and  facility  based
 service   providers,  health  care  workers,  community-based  services,
 consumer-directed services, associations for seniors, health care  asso-
 ciations,  elder  law  representatives, and/or representatives of senior
 housing, including skilled nursing, independent facilities and services,
 assisted living facilities and services, and naturally occurring retire-
 ment communities.
   3. The director of the office for the aging, or his or  her  designee,
 shall serve as chairperson of the task force.
   4.  No member of the task force shall be disqualified from holding any
 other public office or employment, nor shall he or she forfeit any  such
 office  or  employment  by  reason of his or her appointment pursuant to
 this act, notwithstanding the provisions  of  any  general,  special  or
 local law, ordinance or city charter.
   5.  The  members  of  the task force shall receive no compensation for
 their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
 incurred in the performance of their duties pursuant to this act.
   § 4. Assistance from state and local  agencies.  All  departments  and
 agencies  of the state or subdivisions thereof, and local governments of
 this state shall, at the request of the chairperson,  provide  the  task
 force  such  facilities, assistance and data to enable the task force to
 carry out its duties pursuant to this act.
   § 5. Reports. 1. The task force shall report the findings of its study
 with respect to the coronavirus pandemic to the governor, the  temporary
 president  of  the  senate and the speaker of the assembly, on or before
 December 1, 2020. Such report shall include recommendations for  further
 action and legislation.
   2.  The  task force shall report the findings of its full study to the
 governor, the temporary president of the senate and the speaker  of  the
 assembly,  on or before May 1, 2021. Such report shall include recommen-
 dations for further action and legislation.
   § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.