The New York State Senate

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5119
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               March 2, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. GUNTHER -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Mental Health
 
 AN ACT in relation to establishing a task force to study aging in  place
   in  mental  health  housing;  and  providing  for  the  repeal of such
   provisions upon expiration thereof

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  1. A task force shall be established within the office of
 mental health to be known as the mental health housing  evaluation  task
 force  for  aging in place (hereinafter referred to as the "task force")
 to make recommendations including, but not limited to, the following:
   (a) solutions for removing barriers to ensure residents of  community-
 based mental health housing programs can successfully age in place while
 receiving adequate care;
   (b)  identifying  policy, procedure, or regulatory changes that aim to
 remove barriers to residents of community-based  mental  health  housing
 programs  to  receive both mental health and medical care, including the
 ability to hire health care professionals, including but not limited  to
 nurses and/or health home aides;
   (c)  an  action plan for making residences Americans with Disabilities
 Act compliant;
   (d) necessary training for residential staff to understand  the  needs
 of the elderly for which they are providing care; and
   (e)  types  of  assistance  to consider when transporting residents to
 medical appointments and ensuring the proper follow-up occurs.
   2. The task force shall consist of  nine  members  as  follows:  three
 members  shall  be  appointed  by  the  governor;  two  members shall be
 appointed by the speaker of the assembly; two members shall be appointed
 by the temporary president of the senate; one member shall be  appointed
 by  the minority leader of the senate; and one member shall be appointed
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09811-01-3
 A. 5119                             2

 
 by the minority leader of the assembly. The task force members shall  be
 appointed within 60 days after this act shall have become a law.
   Members  so appointed shall consist of at least: one representative of
 a statewide organization or  advocacy  group  for  residents  of  mental
 health  housing  programs;  at  least  one health care professional with
 expertise in the needs of the elderly/aging residents  of  a  congregate
 care setting with significant medical issues; at least one mental health
 professional  with expertise in the needs of elderly mental health hous-
 ing residents with a severe and persistent mental illness; and at  least
 one  member  shall  be  a director of a mental health housing program. A
 chairperson shall be nominated by a majority vote from among the members
 of the task force.
   3. No member, officer or employee of the task force shall be disquali-
 fied from holding any other public office or employment, nor shall he or
 she forfeit any such office or  employment  by  reason  of  his  or  her
 appointment  hereunder,  notwithstanding  the provisions of any general,
 special, or local law, ordinance or city charter.
   4. The members of the task force shall  receive  no  compensation  for
 their  services but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
 incurred in the performance of their duties hereunder.  The  task  force
 shall  meet  at  least  three times, or more if deemed necessary, at the
 call of the chairperson to fulfill its duties.
   5. The task force shall make a report of its findings,  including  any
 recommendations  required pursuant to subdivision one of this section as
 well as any legislative or budgetary initiatives as it may  deem  neces-
 sary  and appropriate. Such report shall be provided to the governor and
 the legislature no later than twelve months after this  act  shall  have
 become a law.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
 deemed repealed thirty days after the report required pursuant to subdi-
 vision five of section one of this act has been presented to the  legis-
 lature;  provided, further, that the commissioner of mental health shall
 notify the legislative bill drafting commission upon the  submission  of
 the  report  required  by subdivision five of section one of this act to
 the legislature, in order that the commission may maintain  an  accurate
 and  timely  effective data base of the official text of the laws of the
 state of New York in  furtherance  of  effectuating  the  provisions  of
 section  44  of the legislative law and section 70-b of the public offi-
 cers law.