Senate Bill S5079

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Establishes a program of tiered eligibility for services offered by OPWDD for persons with learning disabilities and other complex neurological impairments

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Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee 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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2021-S5079 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A6070
Current Committee:
Senate Disabilities
Law Section:
Mental Hygiene Law
Laws Affected:
Add §41.59, Ment Hyg L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2009-2010: S5209
2011-2012: S3020
2013-2014: S989, A6787
2015-2016: S1908, A511
2017-2018: S3630, A501
2019-2020: S4563, A1734
2023-2024: S7896, A9996

2021-S5079 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes a program of tiered eligibility for services offered by the office for people with developmental disabilities for persons with learning disabilities and other complex neurological impairments.

2021-S5079 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S5079 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5079
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 23, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  PARKER, ADDABBO, BAILEY, KENNEDY, PERSAUD -- read
   twice and ordered printed, and when printed to  be  committed  to  the
   Committee on Disabilities
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing a
   program of tiered eligibility for services offered by the  office  for
   people with developmental disabilities for persons with learning disa-
   bilities and other complex neurological impairments
 
   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
 41.59 to read as follows:
 § 41.59 TIERED SERVICES ELIGIBILITY.
   1. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. THE LEGISLATURE HEREBY FINDS THAT
 INDIVIDUALS  WITH  LEARNING  DISABILITIES AND OTHER COMPLEX NEUROLOGICAL
 IMPAIRMENTS ARE OFTEN NOT PROVIDED ESSENTIAL  SUPPORT  AND  HABILITATIVE
 SERVICES  DUE TO THE LACK OF ESTABLISHED OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOP-
 MENTAL DISABILITIES' ELIGIBILITY PROTOCOLS.  THIS  INCLUDES  INDIVIDUALS
 WITH  LEARNING DISABILITIES, HIGH FUNCTIONING AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS,
 SUCH AS ASPERGER'S SYNDROME, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER COMPLEX NEUROLOGICAL-
 LY BASED COGNITIVE DISABILITIES. UNFORTUNATELY,  THESE  INDIVIDUALS  ARE
 THEN  LEFT TO NAVIGATE THEIR LIVES AND THE CHALLENGES OF THEIR DISABILI-
 TIES WITH MINIMAL OR NO ASSISTANCE. AS A RESULT, SUCH INDIVIDUALS  OFTEN
 LEAD  LIVES  OF GREAT DIFFICULTY AND VULNERABILITY THAT MAY INCLUDE, BUT
 ARE NOT LIMITED TO, EXTENDED PERIODS OF INCARCERATION, LIFELONG  DEPEND-
 ENCE  ON  PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AND VICTIMIZATION, COUPLED
 WITH MANY OTHER NEGATIVE AND COSTLY OUTCOMES. IN RESPONSE TO THIS  GROW-
 ING PROBLEM, THE LEGISLATURE HEREBY DIRECTS THE COMMISSIONER OF DEVELOP-
 MENTAL  DISABILITIES TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM OF TIERED ELIGI-
 BILITY FOR OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL  DISABILITIES'  SERVICES
 FOR  PERSONS  WITH  LEARNING DISABILITIES AND OTHER COMPLEX NEUROLOGICAL
 IMPAIRMENTS. THIS TIERED SERVICE-DELIVERY MODEL WOULD ALLOW SERVICES  TO
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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