NY State Senate Bill 2025-S4838

Senate Bill S4838

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Establishes a pilot program to create an assistance hotline for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and complex behavioral needs

download bill text pdf

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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Feb 13, 2025	referred to disabilities

2025-S4838 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Disabilities
Law Section:: Mental Hygiene Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §13.17, Ment Hyg L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S6274
2023-2024: S3138

2025-S4838 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes a pilot program to create an assistance hotline for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and complex behavioral needs.

2025-S4838 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S4838

SPONSOR: FAHY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing a
pilot program to create an assistance hotline for individuals with
intellectual and developmental disabilities and complex behavioral needs

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

The purpose of this bill is to provide general, non-medical, non-crisis
assistance to individuals with intellectual or developmental disabili-
ties or behavioral health concerns.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of this bill would require the Office for Peoples with Devel-
opmental Disabilities to create a three-year pilot program for a 24/7
hotline staffed by counselors for non-medical, non-crisis assistance to
individuals with developmental disabilities, in multiple languages.

Section 2 of this bill provides that the effective date shall take
effect Immediately

 
JUSTIFICATION:

This legislation would require OPWDD to create a 24 hour, seven days a
week hotline to answer questions that an individual with developmental
disabilities may have. Employees staffing the hotline would be trained
to assist individuals with developmental disabilities for non-medical,
non-crisis related questions and issues. These counselors can provide
help, guide and refer to services. This temporary program would be
established for three years at which point its effectiveness could be
evaluated.

The creation of this program will allow more individuals with develop-
mental disabilities to live independently, with their family, or in a
non-traditional setting, while still having access to 24/7 assistance
for non-medical and non-crisis issues. Many individuals could live inde-
pendently with the right assistive and adaptive technology. This hotline
is the first step in creating a continuum of services for individuals
with developmental disabilities to suit their needs.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-22: S6274-B

2023-24: S3138/A6024

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect Immediately

2025-S4838 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4838
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 13, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  FAHY  --  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
   pilot  program  to  create  an assistance hotline for individuals with
   intellectual and developmental  disabilities  and  complex  behavioral
   needs

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 13.17 of the  mental  hygiene  law  is  amended  by
 adding a new subdivision (e) to read as follows:
   (E)  1.  THE  COMMISSIONER SHALL ESTABLISH AND ADMINISTER A THREE-YEAR
 PILOT PROGRAM TO CREATE  AN  ASSISTANCE  HOTLINE  FOR  INDIVIDUALS  WITH
 INTELLECTUAL  AND  DEVELOPMENTAL  DISABILITIES  AND  COMPLEX  BEHAVIORAL
 NEEDS.
   2. THE ASSISTANCE HOTLINE SHALL BE ACCESSIBLE VIA  A  TOLL-FREE  TELE-
 PHONE  NUMBER  AND VIDEO RELAY SERVICE OR OTHER TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBLE TO
 INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DEAF, HARD OF HEARING OR HAVE  SPEECH  DISABILITIES,
 THAT OPERATES TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
   3.  THE OFFICE SHALL RECRUIT AND TRAIN EMPLOYEES TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS
 WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND COMPLEX  BEHAVIORAL
 HEALTH NEEDS WITH ACCESS TO SERVICES OFFERED BY THE OFFICE.  INDIVIDUALS
 WITH  INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND COMPLEX BEHAVIORAL
 HEALTH NEEDS, OR THE PARENT OR GUARDIAN OF SUCH  INDIVIDUALS,  MAY  CALL
 THE  HOTLINE  TO RECEIVE ASSISTANCE WITH ACCESS TO SERVICES, REFERRAL TO
 SERVICES, AND GENERAL INFORMATION ON SERVICES OFFERED BY THE OFFICE.
   4. THE HOTLINE SHALL BE ACCESSIBLE IN ENGLISH AND THE SIX MOST  COMMON
 NON-ENGLISH  LANGUAGES SPOKEN BY INDIVIDUALS WITH LIMITED-ENGLISH PROFI-
 CIENCY IN NEW YORK STATE BASED ON THE MOST RECENT CENSUS  AND  TO  THOSE
 WHO ARE DEAF, HARD OF HEARING, OR HAVE SPEECH DISABILITIES.
   5.  ON OR BEFORE THE CONCLUSION OF THE PILOT PROGRAM, THE COMMISSIONER
 SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY,  AND
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01011-01-5

 S. 4838                             2
 
 THE  TEMPORARY  PRESIDENT  OF THE SENATE EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF
 THE PILOT PROGRAM.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.    Effective  immediately,  the  addition,  amendment
 and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation
 of  this  act  on  its  effective  date  are  authorized  to be made and
 completed on or before such effective date.

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