S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  5415--A
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 27, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  SERINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be  committed  to  the  Committee  on  Aging  --  committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the elder law, in relation to the interagency coordinat-
   ing committee for streamlined services for the aging
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Article 2 of the elder law is amended by adding a new title
 4 to read as follows:
                                  TITLE 4
     NEW YORK STATE INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE FOR STREAMLINED
                          SERVICES FOR THE AGING
 SECTION 260. NEW  YORK  STATE  INTERAGENCY  COORDINATING  COMMITTEE  FOR
                STREAMLINED SERVICES FOR THE AGING.
   §  260.  NEW YORK STATE INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE FOR STREAM-
 LINED SERVICES FOR THE AGING. 1. THERE IS HEREBY CREATED A COMMITTEE  TO
 BE  KNOWN  AS  "THE  INTERAGENCY  COORDINATING COMMITTEE FOR STREAMLINED
 SERVICES FOR THE AGING," TO  BE  COMPRISED  OF  SEVENTEEN  MEMBERS.  THE
 DIRECTOR FOR THE STATE OFFICE FOR THE AGING OR HIS OR HER DESIGNEE SHALL
 SERVE  AS  CHAIRPERSON.  THE  MEMBERS  SHALL BE THE FOLLOWING, OR A DULY
 DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE: THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH; THE  COMMISSIONER
 OF  TRANSPORTATION;  THE  COMMISSIONER OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL;
 THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH; THE COMMISSIONER OF THE
 OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES; THE  COMMISSIONER  OF
 THE  OFFICE  OF  CHILDREN  AND  FAMILY SERVICES; THE COMMISSIONER OF THE
 OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE; SECRETARY OF  STATE;  THE
 DIRECTOR  OF  THE  OFFICE  OF  INFORMATION  TECHNOLOGY SERVICES; AND THE
 COMMISSIONER OF TAXATION AND FINANCE. SIX  ADDITIONAL  MEMBERS,  ALL  OF
 WHOM SHALL BE AGING NOT-FOR-PROFITS, ORGANIZATIONS, OR SERVICE PROVIDERS
 AND  CONSUMERS  REPRESENTING  THE  AGING COMMUNITY SHALL BE APPOINTED TO
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD09786-03-7

 S. 5415--A                          2
 
 SERVE A TERM OF THREE YEARS AS FOLLOWS: TWO BY THE  TEMPORARY  PRESIDENT
 OF  THE  SENATE, TWO BY THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, ONE BY THE MINORITY
 LEADER OF THE SENATE, AND ONE BY THE MINORITY LEADER  OF  THE  ASSEMBLY.
 SUCH ADDITIONAL MEMBERS SHALL BE BROADLY REPRESENTATIVE OF CONSUMERS AND
 PROVIDERS  WHEN MAKING SUCH APPOINTMENTS. MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE SHALL
 RECEIVE NO SALARY.
   2. THE COMMITTEE SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING POWERS AND DUTIES:
   (A) DEVELOP A STATEWIDE SURVEY TO IDENTIFY WHERE THERE  ARE  GAPS  AND
 BARRIERS  TO  ACCESS  TO  SERVICES  FOR THE ELDERLY. THE COMMITTEE SHALL
 DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE SURVEY  TO  REACH  A
 REPRESENTATIVE  SAMPLE  OF THE SENIOR POPULATION IN NEW YORK TO IDENTIFY
 TRENDS IN AREAS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, MENTAL  HEALTH  SERVICES,
 TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC HEALTH AND HOUSING.
   (B) DEVELOP A SIMPLIFIED SENIOR APPLICATION FOR NEED-BASED PROGRAMS IN
 THE STATE THAT SENIORS MAY QUALIFY FOR.
   (C)  COORDINATE  WITH  LOCAL  OFFICES  FOR THE AGING TO SUPPLEMENT THE
 SIMPLIFIED SENIOR APPLICATION AS ARTICULATED IN PARAGRAPH  (B)  OF  THIS
 SUBDIVISION TO CREATE REGIONAL SPECIFIC ADDENDUMS INCLUDING APPLICATIONS
 FOR  PUBLIC  TRANSPORTATION, WELLNESS PROGRAMS, EMERGENCY CONTACT FORMS,
 AND OTHER REGIONALLY-SPECIFIC PROGRAMS.
   (D) DEVELOP AN ONLINE APPLICATION TOOL TO BE UTILIZED BY A  DESIGNATED
 LEAD  AGENCY  TO SUPPLY THE SIMPLIFIED SENIOR APPLICATION AS ARTICULATED
 IN PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS SUBDIVISION FOR CONSUMERS ON THE INTERNET.
   (E) MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE OFFICE FOR DATA SHARING  ACROSS  AGEN-
 CIES  WITH THE INTENT TO TRACK ENROLLMENT AND IDENTIFY TRENDS IN SERVICE
 NEEDS.
   (F) DEVELOP A STANDARD MEDICAL EXPENSE DEDUCTION WORKSHEET FOR SENIORS
 AS WELL AS INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS  REGARDING  QUALIFYING  EXPENSES  FOR
 CERTAIN NEEDS-BASED PROGRAMS.
   (G)   MAKE  RECOMMENDATIONS  REGARDING  SIMPLIFIED  CERTIFICATION  AND
 RE-CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES ACROSS PROGRAMS TO ESTABLISH ELIGIBILITY.
   (H) DEVELOP INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS AND A PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN TO
 DISSEMINATE GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY OF  SERVICES  FOR
 THE  ELDERLY,  INCLUDING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DISTRIBUTING INFORMATION TO
 FAMILIES OR CAREGIVERS.
   (I) DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS TO TARGET AND DISTRIBUTE SIMPLIFIED APPLI-
 CATIONS TO NEW YORK SENIORS.
   3. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL PROHIBIT THE COMMITTEE OR ITS MEMBERS
 FROM PURSUING FEDERAL FUNDING TO IMPLEMENT ANY OF THE PROVISIONS IN THIS
 SECTION.
   4. THE COMMITTEE SHALL MEET AS NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT  ITS  FUNCTIONS,
 POWERS,  AND  DUTIES,  BUT  SUCH MEETINGS SHALL OCCUR AT LEAST ONCE EACH
 QUARTER.
   5. THE COMMITTEE SHALL PROVIDE A REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, THE TEMPORARY
 PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, AND THE CHAIRS  OF
 THE AGING COMMITTEES IN THE SENATE AND THE ASSEMBLY ON OR BEFORE SEPTEM-
 BER  FIRST OF EACH YEAR, BEGINNING IN TWO THOUSAND EIGHTEEN. SUCH REPORT
 SHALL SUMMARIZE THE COMMITTEE'S ACTIVITY DURING THE PRECEDING  YEAR  AND
 SHALL  DETAIL  LEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS APPROPRIATE TO EFFECTUATE THE
 PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, AND ANY OTHER  RECOMMENDATIONS  FOR  IMPROVING
 THE  PROVISION  OF  SERVICES.  IT  SHALL  INCLUDE  INFORMATION DETAILING
 INCREASES IN ENROLLMENT IN NEEDS BASED PROGRAMS FOR SENIORS ADMINISTERED
 BY THE AGENCIES LISTED IN SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION.  SUCH  REPORT
 SHALL  ALSO INCLUDE A PROPOSED AGENDA CONSISTING OF SPECIFIC ISSUES THAT
 THE COMMITTEE PLANS TO ADDRESS DURING THE FOLLOWING FISCAL YEAR.

 S. 5415--A                          3
 
   6. MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE SHALL  BE  APPOINTED  WITHIN  NINETY  DAYS
 AFTER  THE  EFFECTIVE  DATE  OF THIS SECTION, HOWEVER, THE COMMITTEE MAY
 PROCEED WITH THEIR BUSINESS AND EFFECTUATING THE DUTIES OF THIS  SECTION
 IN NINETY DAYS WITHOUT REGARD TO THE COMPLETION OF THE APPOINTMENT PROC-
 ESS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.