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Who cares
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Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Substituted by A8972A
- Ordered to third reading cal.895
- Print number 5930a
- Amend and recommit to rules
- Referred to rules
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Relates to reporting of suspected abuse of adults in certain residential care facilities licensed or operated by the state
Vetoed · Sponsor Harvey Weisenberg
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to required reporting of suspected abuse of adults in certain residential care facilities licensed or operated by the state
Purpose or general idea of bill
Relates to required reporting of suspected abuse of adults in certain residential care facilities licensed or operated by the State.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 of the bill amends mental hygiene law by adding two new sections 16.30 and 31.32 entitled "Abuse Hotline" to create two statewide hotlines for adult abuse and maltreatment for adults residing in the Office of Mental Health (OMH) and Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) facilities. The bill requires OMH and OMRDD to administer its own respective hotline and investigate abuse and maltreatment pursuant to current statute. The bill also provides civil and criminal immunity to anyone who acts reasonably and in good faith in making a report of an allegation of abuse or neglect.
Section 2 of the bill provides for the effective date.
Justification
New York State has had a child abuse hotline system in place for many years for children under the age of 18. However, no such hotline exists for adults with developmental disabilities and other disabilities who reside in or receive services from facilities licensed by the State. This bill would create two toll-free hotlines that are modeled after the existing child abuse hotline.
Some of the State's mentally disabled adults have cognitive functioning that is less than a non-disabled child. This makes them vulnerable to abuse in situations where they are unable to speak for themselves or to successfully relate an incident. The creation of the hotlines will ensure the reporting of abuse and suspected abuse of these vulnerable individuals, who are adults by law, but lack many of the adult skills necessary to advocate for themselves in an abusive situation.
Prior legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.