Senate Bill S1312

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1312
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 14, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  SERINO -- 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 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
 2 to read as follows:
                                  TITLE 2
     NEW YORK STATE INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE FOR STREAMLINED
                          SERVICES FOR THE AGING
 SECTION 230. NEW  YORK  STATE  INTERAGENCY  COORDINATING  COMMITTEE  FOR
                STREAMLINED SERVICES FOR THE AGING.
   § 230. 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
 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
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD06972-01-9

 S. 1312                             2
 
 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  TWENTY.  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.
   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

 S. 1312                             3

 IN NINETY DAYS WITHOUT REGARD TO THE COMPLETION OF THE APPOINTMENT PROC-
 ESS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.