Assembly Bill A5213

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5213
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 12, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. BUTTENSCHON, SANTABARBARA, SAYEGH, ANDERSON --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Mental Health
 
 AN ACT in relation to establishing a  developmental  disability,  mental
   health,  and behavioral condition community stakeholder committee; 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.  Developmental  disability,  mental health, and behavioral
 condition community stakeholder committee. 1. The commissioner of mental
 health, in consultation with the commissioner for people  with  develop-
 mental  disabilities,  the commissioner of children and family services,
 and the commissioner of education, shall establish  a  community  stake-
 holder  committee  to  examine  appropriate and effective evidence-based
 screening methods, and appropriate interventions for children identified
 with a developmental disability, a mental health  or  behavioral  condi-
 tion,  and  educational  supports  for  students in kindergarten through
 grade five. The community stakeholder  committee  shall  consist  of  at
 least  ten  members. The following four members shall serve as co-chairs
 of the community stakeholder committee: (a) the commissioner  of  mental
 health  or their designee; (b) the commissioner for people with develop-
 mental disabilities or their designee; (c) the commissioner of  children
 and  family  services  or  their  designee;  and (d) the commissioner of
 education or their designee.  The remaining members shall  be  appointed
 in  cooperation by the temporary president of the senate and the speaker
 of the assembly in such a manner as to ensure that all  regions  of  the
 state  are  represented, and shall include: (a) at least two members who
 specialize in identifying, evaluating, and diagnosing individuals with a
 developmental disability, or a mental health  or  behavioral  condition;
 (b)  at least one member who specializes in providing education to indi-
 viduals with a developmental disability, a mental health  or  behavioral
 condition;  (c)  at least one member who is a parent of a student with a
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09149-01-5
              

 A. 5213                             2
 
 developmental disability, a mental health or behavioral  condition;  and
 (d)  at least one member who has been identified as an individual with a
 developmental disability, a mental health or a behavioral condition. All
 members  shall  have  expertise  in fields or disciplines related to the
 identification of students diagnosed with a developmental disability,  a
 mental health or behavioral condition.
   2.  The  community  stakeholder  committee  shall conduct at least two
 public hearings for the purpose of obtaining information from stakehold-
 ers and other interested parties, including but not  limited  to  social
 workers  licensed  under article 154 of the education law, mental health
 practitioners licensed under article 163 of the education law,  behavior
 analysts  licensed under article 167 of the education law, and teachers,
 school administrators, and parents.
   3. The community stakeholder committee  shall  prepare  and  submit  a
 report  of  its  findings and recommendations to the governor, temporary
 president of the senate, speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of
 the assembly, and the minority leader  of  the  senate  eighteen  months
 after the effective date of this act.
   §  2.  This act shall take effect January 1, 2026 and shall expire and
 be deemed repealed August 1, 2027.