What's happening
This bill updates the composition and quorum requirements for New York's early intervention and health block grant advisory councils.
Why it matters
Shifts council appointment power for health block grants. The bill centralizes the appointment authority for advisory councils overseeing Department of Health block grants, giving sole appointment power to the Commissioner of Health rather than splitting it among the Governor, Senate, and Assembly. This could affect the diversity and independence of perspectives on these councils.
Redefines quorum standards to a majority of voting members. By specifying that a majority of appointed voting members constitutes a quorum (for both early intervention and health block grant councils), the bill lowers potential barriers to holding meetings and making decisions, possibly increasing the councils' efficiency but also allowing important decisions to be made with fewer members present.
Allows legislative members to designate alternates. For the Early Intervention Coordinating Council, legislative members are explicitly permitted to send designees. This may enhance continuity and attendance but could also reduce direct legislative engagement in council proceedings.
May impact accountability and stakeholder input. With tighter control over appointments and easier quorum requirements, the bill may streamline council operations but could also reduce checks and balances and limit broader stakeholder representation in early childhood and health policy advisory processes.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Revise Early Intervention Council
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Enacting clause stricken
- 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.
Strengthen Early Intervention Council
Senate Floor Calendar · Sponsor Kemp Hannon
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
10421
IN ASSEMBLY
April 19, 2018
Introduced by M. of A. GOTTFRIED -- (at request of the Department of Health) -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to the early intervention coordinating council and the maternal child health services block grant advisory council
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 1 of section 2553 of the public health law, as amended by chapter 462 of the laws of 2016, is amended and a new paragraph (e) is added to read as follows:
(b) The council shall consist of thirty members, unless otherwise required by federal law, appointed by the governor. At least five members shall be parents, four of whom shall be parents of children with disabilities aged twelve or younger and one of whom shall be the parent of a child with disabilities aged six or younger; at least five shall be representatives of public or private providers of early intervention services; at least one shall be involved in personnel preparation or training; at least three shall be representatives of managed care plans or managed care plan trade associations familiar with how claims for services provided pursuant to this title are managed; at least two shall be early intervention officials; at least two shall be members of the legislature or such members' designees; seven shall be the commissioner and the commissioners of education, the office of children and family services, people with developmental disabilities, mental health, alcoholism and substance abuse services and the superintendent of financial services, or their appropriate designees with sufficient authority to engage in policy planning and implementation on behalf of their agencies.
(e) A majority of the appointed voting membership of the council shall constitute a quorum.
§ 2. The second undesignated paragraph of section 1 of chapter 884 of the laws of 1982 is amended to read as follows:
The governor shall require each executive agency which administers a block grant to establish an advisory council. Such councils must include
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14512-01-8
A. 10421 2
representatives from local government, private non-profit providers and the public. One-half of the members shall be appointed by the governor, one-quarter shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate and one-quarter shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly; provided that, with respect to advisory councils for block grants administered by the department of health, all appointments shall be made by the commissioner of health and a majority of the appointed voting membership of advisory councils administering such grants shall constitute a quorum. Advisory councils must be consulted in the preparation of reports and in the development of applications and plans for the block grants.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.