S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
1997
2011-2012 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
January 14, 2011
___________
Introduced by Sens. GOLDEN, HANNON -- read twice and ordered printed,
and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Aging
AN ACT to amend the elder law, in relation to county plans for improving
the availability of community services to the elderly
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 214 of the elder law is amended to
read as follows:
2. County plans for improving the availability of community services
to the elderly. (a) Counties with a designated agency are required to
submit a county plan for a two-, three-, or four-year period determined
by the director, with an annual update containing a budget request for
the forthcoming program year and such other information as shall be
required by the director, for improving the delivery of community
services for elderly persons in the format prescribed by the director.
The plan for the city of New York shall specifically address the needs
of each county within such city. Such plan shall be a comprehensive
description of the manner in which the county intends to address the
needs of elderly persons living in the county through improved coordi-
nation of existing community services and by the development of any new
or expanded community service projects which will improve the delivery
of services to the elderly. ANY CHANGE IN A PLAN AFTER APPROVAL, WHICH
SHALL INCLUDE ANY PROPOSED CHANGE IN SERVICE DELIVERY, SHALL REQUIRE THE
FILING OF A PROPOSED PLAN AMENDMENT TO THE DIRECTOR FOR APPROVAL OR
DISAPPROVAL, AS REQUIRED IN THIS SECTION. NO PLAN AMENDMENT SHALL BE
EFFECTIVE UNTIL APPROVED BY THE DIRECTOR. THE DIRECTOR SHALL HAVE SIXTY
DAYS TO APPROVE A PLAN AMENDMENT, AFTER RECEIPT OF COMPLETED DOCUMENTA-
TION AS REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION. Such plan OR PROPOSED PLAN AMENDMENT
shall contain:
(1) a statement of goals and objectives for addressing the needs of
elderly persons in the county, an assessment of the needs of elderly
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04645-01-1
S. 1997 2
persons residing in the county, a description of public and private
resources that currently provide community services to elderly persons
within the county, a description of intended actions to consolidate and
coordinate existing community services administered by county govern-
ment, a description of the intended actions to coordinate congregate
services programs for the elderly operated within the county pursuant to
section two hundred seventeen of this title with other community
services for the elderly, a description of the means to coordinate other
community services for elderly persons in the county with those adminis-
tered by county government, and a statement of the priorities for the
provision of community services during the program period covered by
such plan OR PLAN AMENDMENT;
(2) an identification of community service projects to be developed to
improve the delivery of services, a budget request for approval for the
forthcoming year which individually identifies each community service
project to be funded pursuant to paragraph (b) of subdivision four of
this section, letters of comment from the appropriate local agencies on
the relationship and expected impact of the proposed community service
projects, assurances that community service projects will provide
services to those most in need, an indication of fee schedules by which
elderly persons participating in community service projects may contrib-
ute to the costs of such projects, and an indication of how the effec-
tiveness of such community service projects will be evaluated;
(3) an identification of planning, coordination, and administrative
activities necessary to achieve the goals and objectives of the plan OR
PLAN AMENDMENT, together with a budget request for such activities for
approval for the forthcoming year to be funded pursuant to paragraph (a)
of subdivision four of this section, and assurances by the county that
it will comply with the requirements of state and federal law; and
(4) such other components as may be required pursuant to regulations
promulgated by the director INCLUDING, WITH RESPECT TO ANY NEW INITI-
ATIVE OR ANY INITIATIVE CHANGED FROM A PRECEDING YEAR OR ANY PLAN AMEND-
MENT: A DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS AT A LEVEL OF DETAIL PRESCRIBED BY THE
DIRECTOR SHOWING THE NUMBER OF SENIORS WHO WOULD BE AFFECTED BY EACH NEW
OR CHANGED INITIATIVE; THE DEMOGRAPHICS AND ANNUAL AND LONG TERM PROJEC-
TIONS OF THE NUMBERS OF SENIORS PROPOSED TO BE SERVED BY EACH INITI-
ATIVE; THE FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY OF SUCH INITIATIVES; WHETHER THERE
WILL BE ANY DIMINISHMENT OF SERVICES AS A RESULT OF THIS NEW OR CHANGED
INITIATIVE, HOW SUCH CHANGE WOULD BE MEASURED, AND EFFORTS THAT WILL BE
MADE TO COUNTERACT ANY NEGATIVE IMPACT; AND COMPARISONS OF THE COST OF
CURRENT AND CHANGED INITIATIVES, WHERE APPROPRIATE, TO BE BORNE BY THE
DESIGNATED AGENCY AND PROVIDERS OF SERVICES.
(b) Such county plan for community services or annual update shall be
prepared by the designated agency and approved by the chief executive
officer of the county, if there be one, or otherwise the governing board
of the county, or the chief executive of the city of New York and
submitted to the director no later than ninety days prior to the begin-
ning of the program period covered by such plan or annual update. Prior
to a submission of a county plan or annual update to the director for
approval, the designated agency shall conduct such public hearings as
may be required by regulations of the director, provided that there
shall be at least one such hearing, and one in each county contained
within the city of New York.
(c) The director shall review such county plan and may approve or
disapprove such plan, or any part, program, or project within such plan,
OR AMENDMENT THERETO, and shall propose such modifications and condi-
S. 1997 3
tions as are deemed appropriate and necessary. [Compliance] THE DIREC-
TOR SHALL ESTABLISH APPROPRIATE TIMELINES TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR
COMMUNITY INPUT BY STAKEHOLDERS, SERVICES PROVIDERS, AND SENIORS, AND
SHALL TAKE ANY COMMENTS AND REPORTS PROVIDED BY SUCH PERSONS OR ENTITIES
INTO ACCOUNT, IN ADDITION TO COMPLIANCE with paragraphs (a) and (b) of
this subdivision [shall be] AS the basis for approval of a county plan,
OR AMENDMENT THERETO. The director shall establish by regulation the
dates for notifying the designated agency of approval or disapproval of
a county plan, OR AMENDMENT THERETO. In the event the director shall
disapprove the proposed county plan OR AMENDMENT, the county submitting
such application shall be afforded an opportunity for an adjudicatory
hearing, as prescribed by article three of the state administrative
procedure act. DESIGNATED AGENCIES SHALL COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS OF
APPROVED PLANS, AND WITH THE RESULTS OF STATE HEARINGS OR REVIEWS,
UNLESS AND UNTIL AN AMENDED PLAN OR APPLICATION IS APPROVED BY THE
OFFICE. THE OFFICE MAY ISSUE PROGRAM INSTRUCTIONS WHICH SHALL BE BINDING
ON AREA AGENCIES AND SERVICE PROVIDERS WITH RESPECT TO SUCH PLANS OR
AMENDED PLANS.
(d) Notwithstanding any provision of this section, nothing contained
in this section shall give the director or a designated agency any
administrative, fiscal, supervisory, or other authority whatsoever over
any plans, programs or expenditures authorized pursuant to titles eigh-
teen, nineteen and twenty of the federal social security act, or over
any unit of state or local government.
(e) Counties with a designated agency may submit to the director a
letter of intent, in the form and by the date prescribed by the director
with the approval of the director of the budget, evidencing the commit-
ment of the county to develop a county home care plan for functionally
impaired elderly.
(f) Within the amounts appropriated therefor, counties submitting an
approved letter of intent pursuant to paragraph (e) of this subdivision
shall be eligible for reimbursement of one hundred percent of the
approved expenditures for preparing a county home care plan for func-
tionally impaired elderly. Such a grant-in-aid shall be available to a
county only once and shall be limited to one-half the amount available
to such county pursuant to subparagraph one of paragraph (a) of subdivi-
sion four of this section; provided however that in either of the two
years immediately following its first submission of a home care plan for
functionally impaired elderly, a county which does not receive state aid
during such year for expanded non-medical in-home services, non-institu-
tional respite services, case management services, and ancillary
services pursuant to paragraph (j) of subdivision four of this section,
may apply for reimbursement of one hundred percent of the approved
expenditures for revising such home care plan, limited to one-quarter
the amount available to such county pursuant to subparagraph one of
paragraph (a) of subdivision four of this section.
(g) County home care plans for functionally impaired elderly prepared
pursuant to this subdivision shall include a comprehensive description
of all aspects of home care, non-institutional respite, case management,
and ancillary services available to elderly persons in the county; a
description of intended actions to coordinate such home care, non-insti-
tutional respite, case management, and ancillary services to func-
tionally impaired elderly persons in their county provided under this
section with other services to elderly persons; a proposal for expanded
non-medical in-home services, non-institutional respite services, case
management services, and ancillary services for functionally impaired
S. 1997 4
elderly persons with unmet needs to support such persons' continued
residence in their homes; and such other components as may be required
pursuant to regulations promulgated by the director, including how the
proposed expanded non-medical in-home services, non-institutional
respite services, case management services, and ancillary services will
be delivered to unserved or underserved populations.
(h) Such county home care plan for functionally impaired elderly shall
be prepared by the designated agency after consultation with the social
services district and the local public health agency, and shall be
approved by the chief executive officer of the county, if there be one,
or otherwise the governing board of the county, or the chief executive
of the city of New York, and submitted to the director for approval by
such date as may be specified by regulation. The director shall not
approve such county home care plan for functionally impaired elderly
unless it complies with the standards and regulations issued pursuant to
this section.
S 2. Severability clause. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivi-
sion, section or part of this act shall be adjudged by any court of
competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect,
impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in
its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section
or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judg-
ment shall have been rendered. It is hereby declared to be the intent of
the legislature that this act would have been enacted even if such
invalid provisions had not been included herein.
S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.