Establishes the New York state community initiatives project

Section 2. Adds a new section 224 of the elder law, to create the community initiatives project. Briefly, the project allows a community (a county or a part of a county) to create a project action plan through a project oversight committee and a "Community initiatives advisory council" which includes project area residents, including seniors, local government, the business and economic development community, service providers, the legal community, and educational institutions.

If accepted by SOFA and the State advisory committee, the community and the state execute a single unified contract. SOFA is allowed to establish up to 10 projects per year. The statute also allows for interchange of state monies to SOFA under the unified contract in order to fulfill the obligations of the state pursuant to unified contracts.

The projects are to provide for coordinated, accessible services, flexibility, seamlessness in the delivery of services insofar as possible, the reduction of barriers to accessing, implementing, and/or financing such services, greater effectiveness in the delivery of such services, and greater numbers of persons served or other delivery improvements within a project area. Services and programs includes any programs offered by the state, and are not limited only to programs and services offered through SOFA. The action plan includes both the programs and services, but also an assessment of the needs which the plan is to address. Elements of the action plan include:

a. a description of the geographic boundaries and demographic characteristics of the area in which the proposed project services will be targeted and an explanation of why that community was selected (if the project area is not a county);

b. a description of services that currently exist, gaps in or barriers to services, and resources available within the community to support such services;

c. a description of how existing services will be made more accessible, whether existing services will be expanded, what new services will be provided, how new and existing services will be coordinated, and what links will be established among the providers of services in the community;

d. a statement of the project's goals and objectives;

e. a description of the process and criteria used to select members of the council;

f. a description of the method used to develop the action plan, including the means of engaging project area senior residents in developing such action plan; and

g. a description of the project area community's involvement in the development of the application including the involvement of public, private, and not for profit agencies, businesses and other organizations and entities, and community residents, and the methods by which the applicant will assure continued community involvement in the delivery of services and long range planning efforts.

The body which determines whether to accept a plan and to oversee the projects is the State community initiatives oversight committee. It includes representatives of the commissioners or directors of the department of agriculture and markets; the office of alcoholism and substance abuse services; the state advocate for the disabled; the office of children and families; the city university of New York; the division of the budget; the department of economic development; the department of education; the empire state development corporation; the department of health; the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance; the office of housing and community renewal; the department of labor; the office of mental health; the office of mental retardation and developmental disabilities; the department of parks, recreation and historic preservation; the state university of New York; and the department of state. Committee members are empowered to waive any regulations for the purpose of promoting innovative approaches and maximize effective use of federal, state, and local monies. Waiver is subject to the approval of the director of the budget, and the waiver must be consistent with applicable state and federal statutes and that it will not imp air the general health or welfare of the people receiving services under such project or others.

Justification

This is a new way of establishing programs for the aging in New York, under which the state would fund a plan, not merely a program or several individuals.

Prior legislative history

S.2004: 2009-10 - Referred to Aging, Committed to Finance S.6967: 2007-08 - Referred to Aging, Committed to Rules

Fiscal implications

None in the current fiscal year; subsequent impact is limited to appropriation.

Effective date

April 1 next succeeding its enactment and expiring April 1 in the sixth year.