Senate Bill S9252

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9252
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 12, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. MANNION -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Disabilities
 
 AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in  relation  to  requiring  the
   commissioner  of the office for people with developmental disabilities
   to develop a housing plan to create new housing options  and  services
   and evaluate the housing subsidy formula

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a  new  section
 13.44 to read as follows:
 § 13.44 COMPREHENSIVE HOUSING PLANNING AND SOLUTIONS.
   (A)  RECOGNIZING  THAT  HOUSING  OPTIONS  ARE  LIMITED TO PERSONS WITH
 DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES:
   1. THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEVELOPMENTAL  DISABILI-
 TIES ADVISORY COUNCIL AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, SHALL DEVELOP A COMPREHEN-
 SIVE  HOUSING PLAN WHICH SHALL BE ISSUED ON OR BEFORE JANUARY FIRST, TWO
 THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR AND THEREAFTER ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. SUCH PLAN  SHALL
 NOT  BE  LIMITED  TO  EXISTING FORMS OF HOUSING OPTIONS, BUT SHOULD ALSO
 INCLUDE NEW PROPOSALS TO CREATE  A  CONTINUUM  OF  HOUSING  AND  HOUSING
 SERVICES,  INCLUDING  HOW SERVICES CAN BE PROVIDED IN THE LEAST RESTRIC-
 TIVE SETTING AND REGULATORY OR STATUTORY  BARRIERS  THAT  MAY  EXIST  TO
 THOSE INNOVATIVE MODELS.
   2. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL IDENTIFY AND ANNUALLY PUBLISH INFORMATION ON
 THE  OFFICE'S  WEBSITE REGARDING RESIDENTIAL CERTIFIED AND NON-CERTIFIED
 HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING HOUSING SUBSIDIES,  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT
 LIMITED  TO  THE NUMBER OF SUCH SITES BY GEOGRAPHY, THE NUMBER OF VACAN-
 CIES, THE UNMET NEED FOR HOUSING BY TYPE AND GEOGRAPHY, AND  THE  NUMBER
 OF CLOSURES, CONVERSIONS, MERGERS, AND AUSPICE CHANGES FOR SUCH RESIDEN-
 TIAL OPPORTUNITIES.
   3.  BEGINNING APRIL FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-THREE, THE COMMISSIONER
 SHALL UTILIZE THE MOST RECENT FEDERAL HOUSING AND URBAN RENEWAL  OR  NEW
 YORK  STATE HOME AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL DATA IN DETERMINING RENTAL AND/OR
 HOUSING SUBSIDIES, AND SHALL PUBLISH SUCH INFORMATION  ON  THE  OFFICE'S
 WEBSITE, WHICH SHALL BE UPDATED NO LESS THAN ANNUALLY.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14198-02-2
 S. 9252                             2
 
   (B) THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILI-
 TIES  ADVISORY  COUNCIL  AND  OTHER  STAKEHOLDERS, SHALL DEVELOP A PILOT
 PROGRAM TO BEGIN NO LATER THAN APRIL  FIRST,  TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-FOUR
 THAT  SHALL  EXPAND  THE  SCOPE  OF WHO MAY BE PAID TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY
 HABILITATION AND RESPITE SERVICES. SUCH PROGRAM SHALL INCLUDE METRICS TO
 MEASURE  QUALITY  IMPACTS  AND COST EFFICIENCIES, IF ANY, AND THE OFFICE
 SHALL REPORT THE RESULTS AND FINDINGS OF SUCH PROGRAM BY SEPTEMBER THIR-
 TIETH, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE TO THE GOVERNOR,  THE  DIRECTOR  OF  THE
 DIVISION OF THE BUDGET, THE ASSEMBLY CHAIR OF THE DISABILITIES COMMITTEE
 AND THE SENATE CHAIR OF THE DISABILITIES COMMITTEE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.