Senate Bill S5701

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S5701

SPONSOR: RIVERA
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend chapter 53 of the laws of 2019 enact-
ing the aid to localities budget, in relation to adding public schools
to the local assistance account

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL::

To allow the Dental Demonstration Project to bring its free dental
services to public schools.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS::

Section 1 adds in public schools as settings where funding provided in
the final adopted 2019-20 state budget appropriated to the New York
State Dental Association can be used for their Dental Demonstration
Project which provides free dental services.

Section 2 makes the bill effective immediately upon enactment.

              

 
JUSTIFICATION::

The Dental Demonstration Project of the New York State Dental Associ-
ation provides free dental services to patients throughout the state and
has received some funding from the legislature in this years' State
Budget. Currently, the program's appropriation is limited to delivering
services only at facilities licensed under Article 28 of the New York
State Public Health Law and at Federally Qualified Health Centers.
However, many preventive dental services such as fluoride varnishes and
dental sealants would be better delivered to children in public school
settings. Therefore, the reach of the program should be expanded to
encompass public schools. When initially placed in this year's Senate
Budget proposal, the Senate had called for allowing any setting to qual-
ify for service under the program. The adopted budget used the more
narrow language used in prior years, which limits funding for article 28
facilities. This bill simply adds in public school settings which may be
served with the funding.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY::

None.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS::

Funding was included in the 2019-20 adopted budget

 
EFFECTIVE DATE::

This act shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to have been
in full force and effect on and after April 1, 2019.