Senate Bill S8651

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8651
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 7, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  CLEARE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
 
 AN ACT to amend the executive  law,  in  relation  to  establishing  the
   office of New York state benefits coordination
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new  article  26-C
 to read as follows:
 
                               ARTICLE 26-C
              OFFICE OF NEW YORK STATE BENEFITS COORDINATION
 
 SECTION 760. DEFINITIONS.
         761. OFFICE OF NEW YORK STATE BENEFITS COORDINATION; DIRECTOR.
         762. POWERS AND DUTIES.
         763. STATE BENEFITS PORTAL.
         764. COOPERATION AND ASSISTANCE.
   §  760.  DEFINITIONS.  FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE, THE FOLLOWING
 TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   1. "DIRECTOR" SHALL MEAN THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF NEW YORK  STATE
 BENEFITS COORDINATION.
   2.  "OFFICE"  SHALL MEAN THE OFFICE OF NEW YORK STATE BENEFITS COORDI-
 NATION.
   § 761. OFFICE OF NEW YORK STATE BENEFITS COORDINATION; DIRECTOR. THERE
 IS HEREBY CREATED AN OFFICE OF NEW YORK STATE BENEFITS  COORDINATION  IN
 THE  EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT. THE HEAD OF THE OFFICE SHALL BE THE DIRECTOR
 OF NEW YORK STATE BENEFITS COORDINATION WHO SHALL BE APPOINTED  BY,  AND
 HOLD OFFICE AT THE PLEASURE OF, THE GOVERNOR. THE DIRECTOR SHALL RECEIVE
 A  SALARY  TO  BE  FIXED  BY THE GOVERNOR WITHIN THE AMOUNT APPROPRIATED
 THEREFOR. THE DIRECTOR MAY APPOINT SUCH DEPUTIES,  ASSISTANTS,  CONSULT-
 ANTS  AND  OTHER  EMPLOYEES  AS MAY BE NEEDED FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF THE
 DUTIES OF THE OFFICE AND THE DIRECTOR AND MAY PRESCRIBE THEIR POWERS AND
 DUTIES AND FIX THEIR COMPENSATION WITHIN THE AMOUNT APPROPRIATED  THERE-
 FOR. SUCH OFFICE MAY HAVE AN OFFICE SEAL.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14183-01-5
 S. 8651                             2
 
   §  762.  POWERS AND DUTIES. THE OFFICE SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING POWERS
 AND DUTIES:
   1. DOCUMENTING ALL EXISTING BENEFIT PROGRAMS ACROSS STATE GOVERNMENT.
   2.  MAINTAINING  A SINGLE PORTAL WEBSITE IDENTIFYING ALL STATE BENEFIT
 PROGRAMS, WITH A STAFFED PHONE LINE FOR NON-DIGITAL ACCESS.
   3. TRACKING BENEFIT PROGRAM FUNDING AND PERFORMANCE METRICS.
   4. TRACKING PHARMACEUTICAL PRICE NEGOTIATION AND  CONTROL  EFFORTS  AT
 THE FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL.
   5.  MAINTAINING  A  DATABASE OF PROVIDER RESOURCES INCLUDING USAGE AND
 PERFORMANCE DATA FOR SUCH PROVIDERS, WHERE AVAILABLE.
   6. OPERATING A UNIVERSAL BENEFITS APPLICATION THAT STREAMLINES  APPLI-
 CATION  PROCESSES  AND  FORMS  AND  IS  AVAILABLE IN ACCESSIBLE FORMATS,
 MULTIPLE LANGUAGES, AND SUBMITTABLE ONLINE. SUCH  APPLICATION  SHALL  BE
 ADMINISTERED  IN COORDINATION WITH ALL APPLICABLE AGENCIES, AND SHALL BE
 ABLE TO BE MADE AVAILABLE AT MULTIPLE POINTS  OF  ENTRY  IN  THE  HEALTH
 CARE,  COMMERCIAL,  NONPROFIT, AND SOCIAL SERVICE SYSTEMS, AS DETERMINED
 BY THE DIRECTOR. SUCH APPLICATION SHALL BE DESIGNED WITH HEALTH LITERACY
 AND OTHER CULTURALLY COMPETENT CONCERNS TESTED  ON  DIVERSE  COHORTS  OF
 OLDER ADULTS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.
   §  763. STATE BENEFITS PORTAL. THE PORTAL WEBSITE ESTABLISHED PURSUANT
 TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF SECTION SEVEN HUNDRED SIXTY-TWO  OF  THIS  ARTICLE
 SHALL INCLUDE:
   1.  WELLNESS,  MENTAL/BEHAVIORAL  HEALTH,  SUBSTANCE  USE DISORDER AND
 SOCIAL ISOLATION SCREENING TOOLS, INCLUDING A WELLNESS SCREENING WEBSITE
 AND MOBILE APPLICATION THAT CAN ALSO BE PRINTED FOR COMPLETION BY  HAND.
 SUCH   SCREENING   TOOLS   SHALL  INCLUDE  CURRENT,  READILY  AVAILABLE,
 EVIDENCE-BASED SCREENING TOOLS FOR MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE  USE  DISOR-
 DER,  LONELINESS,  AND SUICIDE PREVENTION AND SHALL FACILITATE AN APPRO-
 PRIATE INDIVIDUALIZED RESPONSE. INDIVIDUALIZED RESPONSES SHALL BE AVAIL-
 ABLE IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES IN COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION TWO HUNDRED  TWO-A
 OF THIS CHAPTER.
   2.  A PROVIDER-FACING PORTAL WEBSITE FOR PROVIDERS TO ASSIST OR EVALU-
 ATE APPLICANTS.
   3. TRACKING DATA  REGARDING  INDIVIDUALS  CROSS-ENROLLED  IN  MULTIPLE
 BENEFITS.
   4.  INTEGRATION  WITH  PROGRAMS  TO ASSIST WITH BENEFITS EDUCATION AND
 APPLICATIONS.
   5. A CENTRALIZED REPOSITORY FOR TECHNOLOGY  RESOURCES,  TRAININGS  AND
 SUPPORTS.
   6.  IDENTIFICATION OF BENEFITS THAT AN APPLICANT MAY QUALIFY FOR, EVEN
 IF THEY HAVE NOT SPECIFICALLY APPLIED FOR THEM.
   7. INTEGRATION WITH TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION APPLICATIONS.
   8. EXPANDING OUTREACH, COMMUNICATIONS, MARKETING, AND  ASSISTANCE  FOR
 INDIVIDUALS,  INCLUDING  INCREASED  FUNDING FOR THE HEALTH INSURANCE AND
 INFORMATION COUNSELING  AND  ASSISTANCE  PROGRAM  (HIICAP),  FACILITATED
 ENROLLMENT  FOR  THE  AGED, BLIND, AND DISABLED (FE-ABD), AND ACCESSIBLE
 NONPROFIT ASSISTORS, IN COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION FIVE  HUNDRED  EIGHT  OF
 THE FEDERAL REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973, THAT HELP PEOPLE ENROLL IN BENE-
 FITS FOR OLDER ADULTS THAT ALSO ADDRESS THE CHANGING NEEDS AS PEOPLE AGE
 SUCH AS LONG-TERM CARE AND HOME AND COMMUNITY BASED SERVICES.
   §  764.  COOPERATION  AND  ASSISTANCE.  ALL AGENCIES, AUTHORITIES, AND
 INSTITUTIONS OF THE STATE SHALL COOPERATE AND PROVIDE SUCH ASSISTANCE TO
 THE OFFICE AS THE DIRECTOR MAY REQUEST.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.