S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7896
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 3, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. PARKER, ADDABBO, BAILEY, CLEARE, 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
 BE TARGETED AND BASED ON AN INDIVIDUAL'S SPECIFIC NEEDS, WHICH FOR  SOME
 MAY BE MORE INTENSIVE AND FOR OTHERS RELATIVELY MINIMAL. THIS MODEL WILL
 ALSO  FACILITATE  RAPID  RESPONSE  TO ADDRESSING PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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 S. 7896                             2

 INDIVIDUALS IN CRISIS.  PROVIDING SERVICES THAT ARE TRULY NEEDED WILL BE
 MORE COST EFFECTIVE AND A MORE SENSIBLE OPTION THAN THE  CURRENT  ELIGI-
 BILITY  PROCESS  UTILIZED  BY  THE  OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL
 DISABILITIES.
   2.  WHEN  USED  IN  THIS ARTICLE, UNLESS OTHERWISE EXPRESSLY STATED OR
 UNLESS THE CONTEXT OTHERWISE REQUIRES:
   (A) "LEARNING DISABILITY" MEANS A DISORDER IN ONE OR MORE OF THE BASIC
 PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES INVOLVED IN UNDERSTANDING OR IN USING SPOKEN  OR
 WRITTEN  LANGUAGE,  WHICH MAY MANIFEST ITSELF IN AN IMPERFECT ABILITY TO
 LISTEN, THINK, SPEAK, READ, WRITE, SPELL OR TO  DO  MATHEMATICAL  CALCU-
 LATIONS. THIS INCLUDES SUCH CONDITIONS AS PERCEPTUAL DISABILITIES, MINI-
 MAL BRAIN DYSFUNCTION, DYSLEXIA, DYSGRAPHIA, DYSCALCULIA, DYSPRAXIA, AND
 DEVELOPMENTAL APHASIA;
   (B)  "COMPLEX NEUROLOGICAL IMPAIRMENT" MEANS AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER,
 SUCH AS ASPERGER'S SYNDROME, OR OTHER COGNITIVE DISABILITIES OF A  SIMI-
 LAR NATURE AND RESULTING IN SIMILAR NEEDS BY AFFECTED INDIVIDUALS;
   (C) "INTENSIVE SERVICE NAVIGATION" MEANS A SERVICE WHOSE PRIMARY FUNC-
 TION  IS  TO  CONNECT  PERSONS  WITH  LEARNING DISABILITIES AND/OR OTHER
 COMPLEX NEUROLOGICAL IMPAIRMENTS TO APPROPRIATE SERVICES  AND  SUPPORTS.
 INTENSIVE  SERVICE NAVIGATION COORDINATES ALL SERVICES FOR A PERSON WITH
 A LEARNING DISABILITY OR OTHER COMPLEX NEUROLOGICAL  IMPAIRMENT  INCLUD-
 ING,  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO,  MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, PARENTING CLASSES,
 SUPPORT GROUPS, RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, VOCATIONAL SERVICES, AND EDUCA-
 TIONAL TRANSITIONAL PLANNING AND ALL BASIC NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUAL.  THE
 SERVICES  OF  THE  INTENSIVE  SERVICE  NAVIGATOR  ARE  TIME  LIMITED AND
 ORIENTED TO SHORT TERM CRISIS INTERVENTION.
   3. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY INCONSISTENT PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAPTER OR  ANY
 OTHER  STATE  LAW,  THE COMMISSIONER OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES SHALL
 ESTABLISH 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.  SUCH
 PROGRAM SHALL CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS:
   (A)  WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL PRESENTS TO A SERVICE PROVIDER SEEKING SUPPORT
 SERVICES, THE SERVICE PROVIDER SHALL  DETERMINE  IF  THE  INDIVIDUAL  IS
 PRESENTING  WITH  A  LEARNING  DISABILITY  OR OTHER COMPLEX NEUROLOGICAL
 IMPAIRMENT. IF THE SERVICE PROVIDER DETERMINES THAT THE INDIVIDUAL IS  A
 PERSON  WITH AN APPARENT LEARNING DISABILITY OR OTHER COMPLEX NEUROLOGI-
 CAL IMPAIRMENT, AND THAT SUCH INDIVIDUAL REQUIRES IMMEDIATE  SERVICE  IN
 ORDER TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE THE INDIVIDUAL'S HEALTH AND SAFETY, OR THAT
 THE  INDIVIDUAL OTHERWISE FACES A CRISIS SITUATION THAT CAN BE HELPED BY
 SERVICE AND ASSISTANCE, THE SERVICE PROVIDER MAY  IMPLEMENT  THE  TIERED
 SERVICES ELIGIBILITY PROGRAM;
   (B)  TIER  ONE OF THE TIERED SERVICES ELIGIBILITY PROGRAM WILL CONSIST
 OF  THE  IMMEDIATE  PROVISION  OF  INTENSIVE  SERVICE  NAVIGATION.  THIS
 PROVISION OF SERVICES WILL BE PROVIDED FOR UP TO SIX MONTHS IN DURATION.
 THE  SERVICE MAY END ANYTIME PRIOR TO THE END OF THE SIX-MONTH PERIOD IF
 THE INDIVIDUAL AND SERVICE PROVIDER AGREE THAT  NO  FURTHER  SERVICE  OR
 INTERVENTION  IS  REQUIRED. IF THE INDIVIDUAL AND SERVICE PROVIDER AGREE
 AT THE END OF THE SIX MONTH PERIOD THAT THE NEED FOR  SERVICES  PERSISTS
 AND  MORE  INTERVENTION  IS REQUIRED, THE INDIVIDUAL WILL MOVE INTO TIER
 TWO;
   (C) TIER TWO OF  THE  TIERED  SERVICES  ELIGIBILITY  PROGRAM  WILL  BE
 PROVIDED FOR UP TO AN ADDITIONAL SIX-MONTH PERIOD AND PROVIDE:
   (1)   CONTINUATION   AND  INTENSIFICATION  OF  THE  INTENSIVE  SERVICE
 NAVIGATOR'S EFFORTS TO STABILIZE THE INDIVIDUAL'S CRISIS SITUATION;
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   (2) A PROCESS POTENTIALLY LEADING TO FULL ELIGIBILITY FOR  OFFICE  FOR
 PEOPLE  WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES' SERVICES. AS PART OF THIS PROC-
 ESS, THE INTENSIVE SERVICE NAVIGATOR WILL CONDUCT AN ASSESSMENT  OF  THE
 INDIVIDUAL'S ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR LEVELS, CONDUCT AN ASSESSMENT OF AN INDI-
 VIDUAL'S ABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY LEARN AND PUT INTO PRACTICE NEW ADAPTIVE
 SKILLS,  AND  GENERALLY PREPARE THE INDIVIDUAL FOR THE ELIGIBILITY PROC-
 ESS;
   (D) IF DURING TIER TWO, THE  INDIVIDUAL  LEARNS  NEW  SKILLS  AND  THE
 CRISIS  SUBSIDES,  THE  INDIVIDUAL  AND  SERVICE PROVIDER CAN AGREE THAT
 SERVICES BE TERMINATED PRIOR TO THE CONCLUSION OF THIS TIER; AND
   (E) IF THE INTENSIVE SERVICE NAVIGATOR AND INDIVIDUAL AGREE  THAT  THE
 INDIVIDUAL  WOULD  BENEFIT FROM ON-GOING SERVICE AND SUPPORT, THE INTEN-
 SIVE SERVICE NAVIGATOR WILL ASSIST THE INDIVIDUAL  IN  APPLYING  TO  THE
 OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES FOR A FULL ELIGIBILITY
 DETERMINATION.
   4.  THE COMMISSIONER OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES SHALL, IN CONSULTA-
 TION WITH EXPERIENCED SERVICE PROVIDERS, DEVELOP A REIMBURSEMENT METHOD-
 OLOGY FOR INTENSIVE SERVICE NAVIGATION AS  DESCRIBED  IN  THIS  SECTION.
 SUCH  REIMBURSEMENT  SHALL COVER THE SERVICE PROVIDER'S REASONABLE COSTS
 FOR PROVIDING THIS SERVICE AND BE PAID TO THE SERVICE PROVIDERS AS  PART
 OF THE USUAL AND CUSTOMARY COST REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS.
   5. IN DEVELOPING THIS PROGRAM, THE COMMISSIONER OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISA-
 BILITIES SHALL CONSULT WITH A STATEWIDE ASSOCIATION SPECIFICALLY REPRES-
 ENTING  INDIVIDUALS  WITH  LEARNING  DISABILITIES  AND  RELATED SERVICES
 PROVIDERS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.  Effective immediately the addition,  amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
 tation  of  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
 completed on or before such date.