Assembly Bill A9996

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Establishes a program of tiered eligibility for services offered by OPWDD for persons with learning disabilities and other complex neurological impairments

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Current Bill Status - In Assembly Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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2023-A9996 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S7896
Current Committee:
Assembly People With Disabilities
Law Section:
Mental Hygiene Law
Laws Affected:
Add §41.59, Ment Hyg L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2009-2010: S5209
2011-2012: S3020
2013-2014: A6787, S989
2015-2016: A511, S1908
2017-2018: A501, S3630
2019-2020: A1734, S4563
2021-2022: A6070, S5079

2023-A9996 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes a program of tiered eligibility for services offered by the office for people with developmental disabilities for persons with learning disabilities and other complex neurological impairments.

2023-A9996 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9996
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                May 1, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A. SANTABARBARA -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on People with Disabilities
 
 AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation  to  establishing  a
   program  of  tiered eligibility for services offered by the office for
   people with developmental disabilities for persons with learning disa-
   bilities and other complex neurological impairments

   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
 41.59 to read as follows:
 § 41.59 TIERED SERVICES ELIGIBILITY.
   1. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. THE LEGISLATURE HEREBY FINDS THAT
 INDIVIDUALS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES AND  OTHER  COMPLEX  NEUROLOGICAL
 IMPAIRMENTS  ARE  OFTEN  NOT PROVIDED ESSENTIAL SUPPORT AND HABILITATIVE
 SERVICES DUE TO THE LACK OF ESTABLISHED OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH  DEVELOP-
 MENTAL  DISABILITIES'  ELIGIBILITY  PROTOCOLS. THIS INCLUDES INDIVIDUALS
 WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES, HIGH FUNCTIONING AUTISM SPECTRUM  DISORDERS,
 SUCH AS ASPERGER'S SYNDROME, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER COMPLEX NEUROLOGICAL-
 LY  BASED  COGNITIVE  DISABILITIES. UNFORTUNATELY, THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE
 THEN LEFT TO NAVIGATE THEIR LIVES AND THE CHALLENGES OF THEIR  DISABILI-
 TIES  WITH MINIMAL OR NO ASSISTANCE. AS A RESULT, SUCH INDIVIDUALS OFTEN
 LEAD LIVES OF GREAT DIFFICULTY AND VULNERABILITY THAT MAY  INCLUDE,  BUT
 ARE  NOT LIMITED TO, EXTENDED PERIODS OF INCARCERATION, LIFELONG DEPEND-
 ENCE ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AND  VICTIMIZATION,  COUPLED
 WITH  MANY OTHER NEGATIVE AND COSTLY OUTCOMES. IN RESPONSE TO THIS GROW-
 ING PROBLEM, THE LEGISLATURE HEREBY DIRECTS THE COMMISSIONER OF DEVELOP-
 MENTAL DISABILITIES TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM OF TIERED  ELIGI-
 BILITY  FOR  OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES' SERVICES
 FOR PERSONS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES AND  OTHER  COMPLEX  NEUROLOGICAL
 IMPAIRMENTS.  THIS TIERED SERVICE-DELIVERY MODEL WOULD ALLOW SERVICES TO
 BE TARGETED AND BASED ON AN INDIVIDUAL'S SPECIFIC NEEDS, WHICH FOR  SOME
 MAY BE MORE INTENSIVE AND FOR OTHERS RELATIVELY MINIMAL. THIS MODEL WILL
 ALSO  FACILITATE  RAPID  RESPONSE  TO ADDRESSING PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY
 INDIVIDUALS IN CRISIS.  PROVIDING SERVICES THAT ARE TRULY NEEDED WILL BE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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