Assembly Bill A8608

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8608
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 22, 2025
                                ___________
 
 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
   statewide residential families committee
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Section 13.05 of the  mental  hygiene  law  is  amended  by
 adding a new subdivision (h) to read as follows:
   (H) 1. IN ADDITION TO ANY OTHER COMMITTEES ESTABLISHED BY THE DEVELOP-
 MENTAL  DISABILITIES  ADVISORY  COUNCIL AS DEEMED NECESSARY BY THE CHAIR
 UNDER PARAGRAPH ONE OF SUBDIVISION (C) OF THIS SECTION, THERE  SHALL  BE
 ESTABLISHED  A  STATEWIDE  RESIDENTIAL  FAMILIES COMMITTEE WHOSE MEMBERS
 SHALL BE PERSONS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES RESIDING  IN  COMMUNITY
 RESIDENCES,  INTERMEDIATE  CARE FACILITIES, OR OTHER RESIDENTIAL FACILI-
 TIES FOR THE CARE AND TREATMENT OF PERSONS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL  DISABILI-
 TIES  OR FAMILY MEMBERS OR GUARDIANS OF PERSONS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISA-
 BILITIES RESIDING IN SUCH RESIDENCES OR  FACILITIES  FOR  THE  CARE  AND
 TREATMENT OF PERSONS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.
   2. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROVIDE FOR AN APPROPRIATE AND TIMELY APPLI-
 CATION  PROCESS  TO  FACILITATE  SELECTION  OF MEMBERS. NO MEMBER OF THE
 RESIDENTIAL FAMILIES COMMITTEE SHALL BE AN OWNER, OPERATOR, PERSON  WITH
 OWNERSHIP INTEREST IN OR BOARD MEMBER OF AN ENTITY OPERATING A COMMUNITY
 RESIDENCE, INTERMEDIATE CARE FACILITY, OR OTHER RESIDENTIAL FACILITY FOR
 THE  CARE AND TREATMENT OF PERSONS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES OR BE
 EMPLOYED BY AN ENTITY OPERATING A COMMUNITY RESIDENCE, INTERMEDIATE CARE
 FACILITY, OR OTHER RESIDENTIAL FACILITY FOR THE CARE  AND  TREATMENT  OF
 PERSONS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.
   3. THE STATEWIDE RESIDENTIAL FAMILIES COMMITTEE SHALL MEET QUARTERLY.
   4.  THE  DUTIES  OF THE STATEWIDE RESIDENTIAL FAMILIES COMMITTEE SHALL
 INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11315-04-5
 A. 8608                             2
              

 
   (I) INFORMING AND ADVISING THE COMMISSIONER AS TO  MATTERS  OF  IMPOR-
 TANCE  FOR PERSONS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES RESIDING IN COMMUNITY
 RESIDENCES, INTERMEDIATE CARE FACILITIES, OR OTHER  RESIDENTIAL  FACILI-
 TIES  FOR THE CARE AND TREATMENT OF PERSONS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILI-
 TIES AND THEIR FAMILIES AND GUARDIANS;
   (II)  PROVIDING  RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STATEWIDE AND REGIONAL PRIORITIES
 AND GOALS FOR INDIVIDUALS RESIDING IN COMMUNITY RESIDENCES, INTERMEDIATE
 CARE FACILITIES, OR OTHER RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES FOR THE CARE AND TREAT-
 MENT OF PERSONS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND FAMILIES AND GUARDI-
 ANS OF INDIVIDUALS RESIDING IN SUCH RESIDENCES OR FACILITIES;
   (III) ADVISING THE COMMISSIONER  ON  SUCH  OTHER  MATTERS  RELATED  TO
 COMMUNITY RESIDENCES, INTERMEDIATE CARE FACILITIES, OR OTHER RESIDENTIAL
 FACILITIES  FOR  THE  CARE  AND  TREATMENT OF PERSONS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL
 DISABILITIES AS THE STATEWIDE RESIDENTIAL FAMILIES COMMITTEE DEEMS RELE-
 VANT; AND
   (IV) HOLDING REGIONAL PUBLIC MEETINGS TO  SOLICIT  AND  RECEIVE  INPUT
 FROM RESIDENTS OF COMMUNITY RESIDENCES, INTERMEDIATE CARE FACILITIES, OR
 OTHER  RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES FOR THE CARE AND TREATMENT OF PERSONS WITH
 DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND FROM  FAMILY  MEMBERS  AND  GUARDIANS  OF
 RESIDENTS  OF  SUCH  RESIDENCES  OR FACILITIES REGARDING THEIR OPERATION
 INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, CARE PROVIDED.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth  day  after  it  shall
 have become a law.