Senator Felder Supports Seniors and New Yorkers with Disabilities

(Brooklyn, NY) Senator Simcha Felder and the Senate Democratic Majority recently passed legislation to protect and support elder New Yorkers and New Yorkers with disabilities. The package of legislation passed by the Senate Majority to protect seniors includes:

• Elder Abuse Prevention Training: This bill, S.5196B, directs the State Office of the Aging to develop elder abuse prevention training that includes elder abuse detection, reporting, and counseling.  Senior service providers are required to take the training and receive supplemental refresher training every 3 years.
• Senior Citizen and Disabled Rent Increase Exemption: This bill, S.4216, will raise the income eligibility limits for the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) and the Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) programs to $55,000 beginning July 1, 2021. These programs exempt low income seniors and people with disabilities from rent increases.

“I am honored to support and protect our seniors so that they remain active, independent and continue contributing to our families and communities,” said Senator Simcha Felder. “The bills we passed will create a more age inclusive society and help seniors on fixed incomes enjoy their retirement years in the neighborhoods they know, in the homes they created with love.”

Among the legislation passed by the Senate Majority to help disabled New Yorkers includes:

• Disability Support Companion: This bill, S.1035A, allows for the presence of an essential support person for persons with disabilities for the duration of their stay in a general hospital.
• Retroactive Rent Increase Relief: This bill, S.3920, will allow applicants who enrolled in the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) and Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) programs after their original date of eligibility to receive a rent reduction beginning with the first day that they became eligible for such benefits.

“I am proud to provide strong support for people with disabilities and their families. The bills we passed improve safety and care, and direct assistance for individuals fighting for their rights,” said Senator Felder. “Our support for people with disabilities is crucial and I take this responsibility to heart.”