Governor Hochul signing legislation establishing the Office of the Chief Disability Officer.

DDPC Policy Page

Advocacy. Innovation. Inclusion
Policy Areas of Focus
More to Come...
Voting

Voting is your right as an American Citizen. The DDPC supports policy that increases voting in the IDD community.

Digital Equity

Access to internet is a right and a necessity. The DDPC supports policy that allows for people with developmental disabilities to have greater access to the internet. 

2023 -2024 NY Legislative Session
Disability Legislative Tracker

HIGHLIGHTS

 

Updates as of Last Week (3/22/23)


 

Passed both Houses Last Week
Sponsor
Bill ID
Short Description
Full Description
Committee

 n.a.

 

Passed Senate Only Last Week
Sponsor
Bill ID
Short Description
Full Description
Committee

Sanders/Kim

S.1296/A.1845 

Expands Informal Caregiver Training

Broaden the informal caregiver training program to include training and resources for older adults who are caregivers for minors. Replaces "frail or disabled person" with "person in need of assistance". (OPWDD has a consultant role in the program.) The bill would be effective upon the Governor's signature

Aging 

3.16.23: on Senate floor calendar
3.22.23: passed Senate 

 

Passed Senate Committee Last Week
Sponsor
Bill ID
Short Description
Full Description
Committee

Weik

S.2241 

Down Syndrome Awareness Day

Designates March 21 as Down Syndrome Awareness day. The law would be effective upon the Governor's signature.

Finance

3.21.23: passed Senate Finance Committee

Harckham

S3366

Extends Ability to Continue Educational Services for Students with an IEP

This legislation provides that a school district may provide educational services in 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years to a student who turned 21 during the 2022-23 school year, was enrolled in the school district, and received special education services pursuant to an IEP. Such student may continue to receive educational services until the student completes the IEP or turns 23, whichever is sooner. This law would take effect upon the Governor’s signature and sunsets on June 30, 2025. Identical bill with dates one year prior was signed last year by the Governor.

Education 

3.21.23: passed Senate Education Committee 

 

Upcoming Week (3/29/23 - 4/5/23)


 
On Senate Floor Calendar this Week

 

Sponsor
Bill ID
Short Description
Full Description
Committee

n.a.

 

On Committee Agenda this Upcoming Week in the Senate
Sponsor
Bill ID
Short Description
Full Description
Committee

Mannion

S.3105

Requires OPWDD Staffing and Property Report

An act relating to assessing the staffing and other issues causing the continued displacement of
individuals with developmental disabilities from various state-operated institutions under the jurisdiction
of the office for people with developmental disabilities

Disabilities

3.27.23: passed Senate Disabilities committee

Mannion/ Cruz

S.3118/ A.134

Emergency Staffing Plan

An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to requiring the office for people with developmental disabilities to create a staffing plan for workforce emergencies when experiencing staffing shortages

Disabilities

3.27.23: passed Senate Disabilities committee

Mannion/ Seawright

S.4127/ A.5268

Provides DSP Wage Supplement

Provides a $4,000 salary enhancement for employees in the OPWDD system who make less than $125,000 per year. Requires OPWDD to select eligible titles.

Disabilities

3.27.23: passed Senate Disabilities committee

Skoufis/ Seawright

S.3313/ A.5879

Changes Terminology

Replaces the terms "mentally retarded" and "mental retardation" with "intellectually disabled" and "intellectual disability" throughout the consolidated laws of New York

Disabilities

 

Mannion/Seawright

S.5287/A.5913

Extends The ARC NY's Access to the Dormitory Authority

Extends the authority of The Arc New York to access Dormitory Authority of the State of
New York services until December 31, 2028. The bill would be effective upon the Governor’s signature.

Corporations, Authorities and Commissions

3.28.23: passed Senate Corporations, authorities and commissions committee

 
On Committee Agenda this Upcoming Week in the Assembly
Sponsor
Bill ID
Short Description
Full Description
Committee

 n.a.

 

Upcoming Week with One House Bills (Sections of Bills Worth Noting)

Senate One House

S.4000-B

State Operations- DDPC

The Senate agrees with the Executive’s All Funds recommendation of $4.76 million for the state operations of DDPC

Senate One House

S.4003-B

Aid to Localities-OPWDD

The Senate modifies the Executive’s All Funds recommendation of $4.9 billion as follows:
      o the Senate adds $290 million to support an 8.5 percent Cost-of-Living
        Adjustment (COLA).
      o the Senate adds $1 million  to  support  Legislative  Grants,  including  a
        $450,000 restoration to support prior year Legislative Grants.

Senate One House

S.4007-B

Article VII Proposal- OPWDD

NEW PART NN -- The Senate advances language to create an independent
    intellectual and developmental disability ombudsman program

This comes from Senate bill S.3108 which was proposed by Sen. Mannion

Senate One House

S.4007-B

Article VII Proposal- DOMH

Part DD - Human Services Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) –  The Executive budget called for a 2.5% COLA to be applied to almost all of OPWDD’s services.  Assembly bill increased the COLA to 8.5%. The Senate bill modified to increase the COLA to 8.5% for this budget year and set any future increases to be based on the Consumer Price Index.

This comes from Senate bill S.1291 which was proposed by Sen. Brouk 

Part EE -OPWDD Managed Care extender 
OPWDD asked that the statutes authorizing managed care plans, especially the FIDA-IDD plan, be extended for 5 years to allow Guidehouse to complete its evaluation of Managed Care and to further allow OPWDD to explore transitioning the FIDA-IDD plan into another model. The Senate One house authorizes a one-year extension to September 30, 2028 while the Executive budget called for a 5-year extension to September 30, 2028.  Assembly bill authorized a two-year extension to September 30, 2028.

 

Part FF - Flexibilities for nursing tasks
The Senate accepts the Executive’s proposal. This proposal would allow DSPs to perform certain nursing tasks in non-certified settings when a RN has determined that the person receiving services, or their family member, had the capacity to train the DSP to perform such tasks. Assembly bill intentionally omitted this provision

Senate One House

S.4007-B

Article VII Proposal- DOH

Part N - Expansion of Medicaid buy-in for working people with disabilities –  The Senate accepts the Executive’s proposal to increase the eligibility limit from 250% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) to 2,250% of the FPL and established a sliding fee schedule for incomes of 250% FPL and higher. Assembly accepts but modifies by limiting the cost of premiums to be paid to 8.5% of the enrollee’s income.

Part P – Transforming Health Care Capital Funding
The Executive budget proposal authorizes $1B in DOH grants to fund capital projects for eligible health providers, including day habilitation centers, residential facilities and article 16 clinics - $500M for capital projects and $500M for technology transformation projects.

The Senate One House authorizes an additional $200M in funding for capital projects and sets aside $50M specifically for those projects designed to increase capacity in underserved areas of the state and $150M for community-based health care providers; and provides $500M for technology projects (including cybersecurity) with $100M set aside for community-based health care providers.

The Assembly One House approves $1B for capital projects and specifically requires $50M be set aside for community-based health provider projects.


Part W - Expands scope of the practice for Health Care providers – 

The Senate intentionally omits the Executive Proposal to allows physician assistants, nurses and other health care professionals to take on additional duties under their licenses and authorized NY to enter into the Interstate Licensure Compact and Nurse Licensure Compact so doctors and nurses who were licensed in other states could work in NY. The Assembly bill intentionally omitted all but certain provisions applying to Home Health Aides. 

Senate One House

S.4005-B

Article VII Proposal- DCS

Part T - Expansion of 55-b and 55-c positions 

The Senate accepts the Executive’s proposal to increase the number of Civil Service positions designated for individuals with disabilities from 1,200 to 1,700 positions. The Assembly’s One house intentionally omits this.

Senate One House

S.4008-B

Article VII Proposal- DOS

Part X – Revision to Open Meetings Law

The Executive proposed virtual meeting flexibilities for public bodies serving individuals with disabilities. The Senate One House accepts this but allows for any member of a public body who has a disability such that the member cannot be physically present at the meeting location, to be considered present if attending via videoconferencing for purposes fulfilling the quorum requirement. The Assembly One House intentionally omits this. 

 
 *Tracker is updated every Wednesday*
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