Creates an interagency workgroup on entrepreneurship for people with disabilities as a standing committee of the most integrated settings coordinating council (MISCC)

Summary of provisions

Adds a new Article 19-E to the Executive law, "Interagency Workgroup on Entrepreneurship for People with Disabilities." Subdivision 1 creates the workgroup and establishes its mission:

o to facilitate interagency planning and policy, o review specific agency initiatives for their impact on services related to employment and entrepreneurship of people with disabilities, o identify barriers and facilitators to self-employment at the policy and program levels across agencies, o recommend improvements in policy and program, and o provide a continuing forum for concerns and discussion related to the formulation of a comprehensive state policy relating to employment and entrepreneurship among people with disabilities.

Subdivision two establishes the membership of the 15 person group: commissioners of health, children and family services, education, mental health, office of persons with developmental disabilities, the department of labor, economic development, the directors of the state office for the aging, and the office of alcohol and substance abuse services, and the chancellor of the state university of New York. In addition, the governor shall appoint seven other members with expertise in disability employment and entrepreneurial issues, at least two of whom shall represent not-for-profit corporations whose primary purpose is to provide programs in training, services, and entrepreneurship for persons with disabilities; and eight members are appointed by the governor on recommendation of the legislative leaders as follows. The commissioner of mental health and the commissioner of the office of persons with developmental disabilities shall serve, ex officio, as co-chairs of the council. Administrative duties shall be the responsibility of the department. The members of the Interagency Workgroup shall receive no compensation for their services.

Subdivision 3 requires the Workgroup to conduct community forums to gain input for the development of a New York state plan for a comprehensive system of services related to employment and entrepreneurship of people with disabilities. The plan is to include but not be limited to:

o identifying barriers and facilitators to self-employment by persons with disabilities, o identifying best practices in developing entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, o best approaches to training individuals to aid in the development of entrepreneurial and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, o a community assessment of strengths and gaps in community support services, o ways in which to coordinate services among various systems, o different financing approaches to pay for support services o and any other recommendations.

Subdivision 4 requires the Workgroup to meet quarterly, and to provide reports to the governor and the legislature on or before June thirtieth, two thousand eleven and by June thirtieth of every other year thereafter.

Subdivision 5 requires the Workgroup to examine accessibility requirements for all state web-based information technology, in order to expand that policy to other forms of electronic and information technology purchased, developed or used by state agencies.

Subdivision 6 requires that the office of mental health and the office of persons with developmental disabilities serve as the focal point to develop comprehensive coordinated responses of the various state agencies with regard to employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for persons with disabilities. This subdivision also allows the offices to engage a nationally mown entity in the areas of entrepreneurship and employment for people with disabilities which is affiliated with an academic or research institution to aid in the development and implementation of the plan and review of program and policy.

Subdivision 7 creates a Individual Development Account Pilot Program for the development of business startup and expansion by persons with disabilities in 10 sites with project site to receive an investment not to exceed $50,000. Project sites shall be chosen to provide geographic balance between urban, rural, and suburban areas.

Justification

In 2006, the overall percentage of working-age people with disabilities ages 21-64 in New York State was 11.5%, representing a total of 1,295,000 people(1). The same survey reported that the employment rate of working age people with disabilities was only 33.5%, compared to the employment rate of working-age people without disabilities, reported at 77 .9%. This represents a tremendous loss of human capital that could be utilized to improve New York's economic recovery.

The Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) works as a partner to NYS public and private agencies addressing issues of unemployment, poverty and community inclusion of people with disabilities. It assists state agencies, including the NYS Most Integrated Settings

Coordinating Council (MISCC), Office of Mental Health, Office of Persons with Developmental Disabilities, Small Business Development Centers and the Department of Labor on increasing employment and entrepreneurship for people with disabilities. It also works with the private sector that includes community lending institutions and the United Way of New York State and its member agencies to improve economic self-sufficiency for over one million New Yorkers with disabilities that want to be included in those efforts.

The purpose of this legislation is to coordinate state policy regarding entreporeneurship for persons with disabilities.

Legislative history

New bill.

Fiscal implications

Ultimately this will save money as individuals transition to independent entrepreneurship and away from dependency.

Effective date

120 days after the act becomes law.

Footnote

(1) Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Demographics and Statistics (2007). Disability Status Report. Ithaca, NY; Cornell University