Assembly Bill A674

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    674
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  BUTTENSCHON -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Mental Health
 
 AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to the establishment
   of the independent intellectual and  developmental  disability  ombud-
   sperson program

   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
 33.29 to read as follows:
 § 33.29 INDEPENDENT INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY OMBUDSPER-
           SON PROGRAM.
   (A)  THERE  IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED THE OFFICE OF THE INDEPENDENT INTEL-
 LECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY OMBUDSPERSON PROGRAM THAT  WILL  BE
 OPERATED  OR  SELECTED BY THE OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISA-
 BILITIES FOR THE PURPOSE OF ASSISTING INDIVIDUALS WITH  AN  INTELLECTUAL
 OR  DEVELOPMENTAL  DISABILITY  TO ENSURE THAT THEY RECEIVE COVERAGE FROM
 MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATIONS THAT IS APPROPRIATE IN MEETING THEIR INDIVID-
 UAL SERVICE NEEDS.
   (B) SUCH OMBUDSPERSON WILL IDENTIFY, INVESTIGATE,  REFER  AND  RESOLVE
 COMPLAINTS  THAT  ARE  MADE  BY,  OR ON BEHALF OF, CONSUMERS RELATIVE TO
 COVERAGE UNDER A MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATION AND  ACCESS  TO  INITIAL  AND
 CONTINUING   INTELLECTUAL  AND  DEVELOPMENTAL  DISABILITY  SERVICES  AND
 SUPPORTS; AND ACCEPT, INVESTIGATE, REFER AND HELP TO RESOLVE  COMPLAINTS
 THAT  ARE  MADE BY OR ON BEHALF OF CONSUMERS OR BY PROVIDERS RELATIVE TO
 NETWORK ADEQUACY FOR ACCESS TO INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY
 SERVICES AND SUPPORTS.
   (C) NOTWITHSTANDING  SECTIONS  ONE  HUNDRED  TWELVE  AND  ONE  HUNDRED
 SIXTY-THREE  OF  THE STATE FINANCE LAW AND SECTION ONE HUNDRED FORTY-TWO
 OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LAW, OR ANY OTHER INCONSISTENT PROVISION  OF
 LAW,  FUNDS  AVAILABLE  FOR EXPENDITURE PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION FOR THE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD02185-01-5
 A. 674                              2
 
 ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OMBUDSPERSON PROGRAM FOR INTELLECTUAL  AND  DEVELOP-
 MENTAL  DISABILITY, MAY BE ALLOCATED AND DISTRIBUTED BY THE COMMISSIONER
 OF THE OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, SUBJECT TO THE
 APPROVAL  OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE BUDGET, BUT ONLY AFTER THE COMMISSIONER
 OF THE OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES HOLDS A REQUEST
 FOR PROPOSAL PROCESS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF  AN  OMBUDSPERSON  PROGRAM
 FOR  INTELLECTUAL  AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY. THE COMMISSIONER OF THE
 OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL  DISABILITIES  SHALL  CONSIDER  ALL
 COMPETITIVE  PROPOSALS SUBMITTED THROUGH SUCH REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PROC-
 ESS AND SHALL DETERMINE, BASED ON SUCH COMMISSIONER'S DISCRETION,  WHICH
 PROPOSAL  SUBMITTED  IS  MOST  COMPETITIVE  FOR  THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN
 OMBUDSPERSON PROGRAM FOR INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.