Senate Bill S8618

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8618
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             December 15, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK  --  read  twice and ordered
   printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation  to  establishing  a
   transportation  assistance  voucher  demonstration program for certain
   outpatient mental health and substance use disorder services

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 the "behavioral health transportation access act".
   § 2. Legislative findings and purpose. The legislature finds that many
 New Yorkers receiving outpatient mental health and substance use  disor-
 der  services  lack access to reliable and affordable transportation and
 are ineligible for Medicaid-funded non-emergency medical transportation.
 Individuals with incomes modestly above Medicaid thresholds often  incur
 significant  transportation costs to attend therapy, counseling, medica-
 tion management, and recovery services, resulting in missed appointments
 and early dropout from care. Such disruptions increase the likelihood of
 psychiatric crisis, overdose, relapse, hospitalization, and  involvement
 with  law enforcement, imposing substantial costs on the state and local
 communities.
   The purpose of this act is to authorize the office of  mental  health,
 in  consultation  with the office of addiction services and supports, to
 establish a demonstration program  providing  transportation  assistance
 vouchers  to eligible individuals attending outpatient behavioral health
 appointments, in order to promote continuity of care,  reduce  avoidable
 crises, and improve behavioral health outcomes.
   § 3. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section 7.49 to
 read as follows:
 § 7.49 TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE VOUCHER DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.
   (A) DEFINITIONS. AS USED IN THIS SECTION:
   (1) "ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUAL" MEANS A RESIDENT OF THE STATE WHO:

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14212-01-5
              

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   (I) HAS A SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT AT AN OUTPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM
 LICENSED,  OPERATED,  OR  FUNDED  BY  THE  OFFICE,  OR  AT AN OUTPATIENT
 SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER PROGRAM CERTIFIED, OPERATED,  OR  FUNDED  BY  THE
 OFFICE OF ADDICTION SERVICES AND SUPPORTS;
   (II) HAS HOUSEHOLD INCOME AT OR BELOW TWO HUNDRED FIFTY PERCENT OF THE
 FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL;
   (III)  IS  NOT  ENROLLED IN THE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM UNDER TITLE
 ELEVEN OF ARTICLE FIVE OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES LAW AND IS  NOT  RECEIVING
 NON-EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION BENEFITS FOR SUCH APPOINTMENT; AND
   (IV)  LACKS  ACCESS, AS DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER, TO SAFE, RELI-
 ABLE, NO-COST TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM SUCH APPOINTMENT.
   (2) "OUTPATIENT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAM" MEANS AN OUTPATIENT PROGRAM
 PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH OR  SUBSTANCE  USE  DISORDER  SERVICES  THAT  IS
 LICENSED,  OPERATED,  OR  FUNDED  BY  THE  OFFICE  OR  BY  THE OFFICE OF
 ADDICTION SERVICES AND SUPPORTS.
   (3) "TRANSPORTATION VOUCHER" MEANS A DIGITAL CODE, PREPAID CARD, PAPER
 VOUCHER, TRANSIT PASS, OR REIMBURSEMENT MECHANISM  REDEEMABLE  ONLY  FOR
 TRANSPORTATION SERVICES AUTHORIZED UNDER THIS SECTION.
   (4)  "TRANSPORTATION  SERVICES" MEANS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, INCLUDING
 BUS, SUBWAY, LIGHT RAIL, PARATRANSIT, OR COMMUTER RAIL; FOR-HIRE  TRANS-
 PORTATION  INCLUDING  TAXIS,  LIVERIES,  OR  RIDESHARE SERVICES; AND ANY
 OTHER TRANSPORTATION MODALITY APPROVED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
   (B) ESTABLISHMENT. THE COMMISSIONER, WITHIN AMOUNTS  APPROPRIATED  AND
 IN   CONSULTATION  WITH  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  ADDICTION  SERVICES  AND
 SUPPORTS, SHALL ESTABLISH A  TRANSPORTATION  ASSISTANCE  VOUCHER  DEMON-
 STRATION  PROGRAM TO PROVIDE ROUND-TRIP TRANSPORTATION TO ELIGIBLE INDI-
 VIDUALS FOR SCHEDULED OUTPATIENT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH APPOINTMENTS.
   (C) PROGRAM DESIGN. (1) THE DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM MAY  BE  IMPLEMENTED
 DIRECTLY  BY  THE  OFFICE  OR THROUGH CONTRACTS OR GRANT AGREEMENTS WITH
 LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL UNITS OR OUTPATIENT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAMS.
   (2) THE COMMISSIONER MAY  ESTABLISH  ELIGIBILITY  VERIFICATION  PROCE-
 DURES, VOUCHER ISSUANCE PROTOCOLS, LIMITS ON VOUCHER VALUE OR FREQUENCY,
 ATTENDANCE CONFIRMATION REQUIREMENTS, AND SAFEGUARDS TO PREVENT FRAUD OR
 MISUSE.
   (3) VOUCHERS SHALL BE USED SOLELY FOR TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM SCHE-
 DULED OUTPATIENT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH APPOINTMENTS.
   (D)  COORDINATION  WITH  EXISTING  BENEFITS.  INDIVIDUALS ELIGIBLE FOR
 NON-EMERGENCY MEDICAL  TRANSPORTATION  THROUGH  THE  MEDICAL  ASSISTANCE
 PROGRAM  OR  ANY OTHER PUBLIC BENEFIT SHALL NOT RECEIVE VOUCHERS FOR THE
 SAME APPOINTMENTS UNDER THIS SECTION. THE COMMISSIONER  SHALL  ESTABLISH
 PROCEDURES TO PREVENT DUPLICATION OF BENEFITS.
   (E)  OUTREACH AND ADMINISTRATION. THE OFFICE, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE
 OFFICE OF ADDICTION SERVICES AND SUPPORTS, SHALL  DEVELOP  GUIDANCE  AND
 MATERIALS  TO ASSIST PARTICIPATING PROGRAMS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL UNITS
 IN IDENTIFYING ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS AND ADMINISTERING VOUCHERS.
   (F) DATA COLLECTION AND EVALUATION. (1) THE OFFICE SHALL COLLECT  DATA
 ON PARTICIPATION, VOUCHERS ISSUED, APPOINTMENT ADHERENCE, AND SUCH OTHER
 OUTCOME MEASURES AS THE COMMISSIONER DEEMS RELEVANT.
   (2)  NO  LATER  THAN  THREE  YEARS  AFTER  THE  EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS
 SECTION, AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER  WHILE  THE  DEMONSTRATION  PROGRAM  IS
 OPERATIONAL,  THE COMMISSIONER SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR AND
 THE LEGISLATURE ON PROGRAM  IMPLEMENTATION,  OUTCOMES,  AND  RECOMMENDA-
 TIONS.
   (G)  FUNDING.  THE  COMMISSIONER MAY USE STATE APPROPRIATIONS, FEDERAL
 FUNDS, LOCAL CONTRIBUTIONS, OR  PRIVATE  GRANTS  OR  DONATIONS  FOR  THE
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 PURPOSES  OF THIS SECTION. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL CREATE AN ENTI-
 TLEMENT TO TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE.
   (H)   CONFIDENTIALITY.   ALL   INDIVIDUALLY  IDENTIFIABLE  INFORMATION
 COLLECTED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL  BE  MAINTAINED  IN  ACCORDANCE
 WITH APPLICABLE STATE AND FEDERAL CONFIDENTIALITY LAWS.
   §  4.  The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section 19.46
 to read as follows:
 § 19.46 TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE VOUCHER DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM; COORDI-
           NATION.
   THE OFFICE OF ADDICTION SERVICES AND SUPPORTS SHALL  COLLABORATE  WITH
 THE  OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH IN THE IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION OF THE
 TRANSPORTATION  ASSISTANCE  VOUCHER  DEMONSTRATION  PROGRAM  ESTABLISHED
 PURSUANT  TO  SECTION  7.49  OF THIS CHAPTER, AND IS AUTHORIZED TO ENTER
 INTO CONTRACTS, PROVIDE GUIDANCE, AND COLLECT DATA CONSISTENT WITH  SUCH
 IMPLEMENTATION.
   § 5. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law; provided, however, that the office of mental
 health  and the office of addiction services and supports are authorized
 to promulgate regulations and take  any  other  measures  necessary  for
 implementation prior to such effective date.