What's happening
Writing a plain-English summary… Track this bill to get it by email.
Why it matters
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 62
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to health
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 62–0
- Ordered to third reading cal.1973
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Referred to health
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 funding for free-standing mental health clinics
In Assembly Committee · Health · Sponsor Felix Ortiz
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to funding for free-standing mental health clinics
Purpose or general idea of bill
To remove the requirement that Article 31 Mental Health Clinics receive Federal funding, in order to be eligible for State funding.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 amends 2807-p of the public health law to remove the requirement that article 31 mental health clinics must meet federal participation in order to receive state funding.
Section 2 is the effective date.
Justification
The Bill would amend section 2807-p of the public health law to remove the requirement, unique to article 31 mental health clinics, that federal participation must be provided for such clinics to be paid state funding owed to them for uncompensated care rendered.
Under a formula developed in 2010, the State's Mental Health Clinics including those that are run by community organizations and counties were included in the state uncompensated care pool to help offset the cost and losses from indigent mental health services. Payment of state funding for such mental health clinics is contingent upon federal participation. This is a unique and unfair requirement placed only on mental health clinics and not applied to any of the other clinics which receive funding from the pool. Recently, the application for federal funding was allowed to lapse resulting in mental health clinics receiving neither their state or federal funding for services rendered in 2013 and 2014. This has resulted in significant funding shortfalls for these community mental health providers which are already struggling. It places their ability to continue to provide essential services in jeopardy.
This is a serious inequity in the law which must be corrected. This legislation would remove the requirement that only applies for Article 31 clinics that federal participation must be in place in order for state funds under the indigent care pool to be provided to these clinics. The enactment of this legislation would mean that all clinics would be treated equally under the state's uncompensated care pool regardless of whether the clinics provide health care or mental health services.
Prior legislative history
New Bill.
Fiscal implications
None
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.