Senate Bill S7896

2023-2024 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

Current 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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2023-S7896 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A9996
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
2021-2022: S5079, A6070

2023-S7896 (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.

2023-S7896 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S7896 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     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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