NY State Senate Bill 2025-S4948

Senate Bill S4948

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to reimbursement for non-medical transportation for individuals with a substance use disorder to receive peer support services

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Alcoholism And Substance Use Disorders 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 14, 2025	referred to alcoholism and substance use disorders

2025-S4948 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Alcoholism And Substance Use Disorders
Law Section:: Mental Hygiene Law
Laws Affected:: Add §19.18-d, Ment Hyg L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S7910
2023-2024: S4536

2025-S4948 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to reimbursement for non-medical transportation for individuals with a substance use disorder to receive peer support services.

2025-S4948 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S4948

SPONSOR: HARCKHAM
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to reimbursement for
non-medical transportation for individuals with a substance use disorder
to receive peer support services

 
PURPOSE:

Relates to reimbursement for peer and transportation services for indi-
viduals with a substance use disorder

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Amends the mental hygiene law by adding section 19.18d which
requires the office to establish reimbursement rates by January 1st,
2025, for transportation services for individuals with substance use
disorder to receive services from a peer certified by the Office of
Addiction Services and Supports. Additionally, this section requests
that the office in consultation with the department of health pursue

Medicaid participation and requests that the office consider the use of
any federal grants, including state opioid response grants, supplemental
substance abuse prevention, and treatment block grants, and opioid liti-
gation settlement funds to support such reimbursement.

Section 2: States the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Currently, peer services for individuals with a substance use disorder
diagnosis, which are provided in certified OASAS settings, qualify for
reimbursement. Although peer services are generally the same regardless
of the setting, some recovery support settings like recovery support
homes, which offer peer services do not qualify for reimbursement
because they are not affiliated with an outpatient treatment center.

Understanding that recovery is a lifelong journey, we must ensure that
those seeking support are able to receive it in a timely manner and that
providers are adequately reimbursed so they are incentivized to continue
to provide these services.

This bill seeks to create a reimbursement rate for existing facilities
that offer transportation to peer support services. Supporting these
alternative locations supports individuals who are seeking peer services
by offering these services where the individuals are already currently
visiting and increasing the peer retention rate.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-2024: S4536B/A1151 - Died in Finance

2021-2022: S7910A/A9295A - Passed Senate/Died in Ways and Means

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
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.

2025-S4948 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4948
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 14, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Alcoholism  and  Substance
   Use Disorders
 
 AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to reimbursement for
   non-medical transportation for individuals with a substance use disor-
   der to receive peer support services

   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
 19.18-d to read as follows:
 § 19.18-D REIMBURSEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION TO PEER SUPPORT SERVICES.
   THE  OFFICE SHALL ESTABLISH REIMBURSEMENT RATES FOR NON-MEDICAL TRANS-
 PORTATION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH  A  SUBSTANCE  USE  DISORDER  TO  RECEIVE
 SERVICES  FROM  A PEER CERTIFIED BY THE OFFICE OF ADDICTION SERVICES AND
 SUPPORTS. AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT  OF  SUCH  RATES,  THE  OFFICE,  IN
 CONSULTATION  WITH  THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, SHALL PURSUE FEDERAL MEDI-
 CAID PARTICIPATION AND REIMBURSEMENT.   THE OFFICE SHALL  ALSO  CONSIDER
 THE  USE  OF  ANY FEDERAL GRANTS, INCLUDING STATE OPIOID RESPONSE GRANTS
 AND SUPPLEMENTAL SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT BLOCK  GRANTS,
 TO  SUPPORT SUCH REIMBURSEMENT. SUCH REIMBURSEMENT RATES SHALL BE ESTAB-
 LISHED BY APRIL FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX.
   § 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.
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01569-01-5

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