What's happening
This bill requires standardized training for employees and volunteers serving people with developmental disabilities, covering abuse prevention, safety, and cultural competence.
Why it matters
Standardizes essential safety and care knowledge. By mandating specific training content—such as abuse prevention, legal protections, fire safety, first aid, CPR, and cultural competence—the bill aims to ensure all staff and volunteers have a consistent, baseline understanding of key issues impacting people with developmental disabilities.
Bases training on current research and best practices. The requirement for a literature review of existing studies and training models means the curriculum will be informed by up-to-date evidence, potentially improving care quality and reducing the risk of harm.
Expands access and accountability. Allowing for various delivery methods (such as online, teleconference, or in-person) makes the training more accessible, while the certificate of completion provides documentation that required competencies are met, supporting oversight and compliance.
Emphasizes interactive learning. By specifically excluding self-study and correspondence-only formats, the bill prioritizes interactive and engaging educational methods, which are shown to improve learning outcomes and retention among trainees.
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
Train Disability Care Workers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to mental health and developmental disabilities
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading cal.21
- Returned to assembly
- Died in senate
- Referred to mental health and developmental disabilities
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Advanced to third reading cal.365
- Reported
- Reported referred to ways and means
Show 1 earlier action
- Referred to mental 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.
Train Workers Serving Disabled
In Senate Committee · Mental Health And Developmental Disabilities · Sponsor Patty Ritchie
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
271
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 5, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. GUNTHER, BARRETT, BICHOTTE, FAHY, M. G. MILLER -read once and referred to the Committee on Mental Health
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to standardized training curriculum requirements for employees and volunteers providing services to persons with developmental disabilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 13.23 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new subdivision (d) to read as follows:
(d) The commissioner shall adopt rules and regulations requiring all persons who are employed or volunteering at a provider licensed, certified or operated by the office to complete a training curriculum consistent with this subdivision. In developing such curriculum, the commissioner shall conduct a literature review of reports, studies and other training models regarding the training of direct care workers for persons with developmental disabilities. Such curriculum shall include, but not be limited to: (1) abuse, neglect and maltreatment indication and prevention, (2) laws, regulations and procedures governing the protection of persons with disabilities from abuse, neglect and maltreatment, (3) identification, safety and security procedures, (4) fire safety, (5) first aid, (6) cardiopulmonary resuscitation, (7) cultural competence, and (8) any other appropriate topic.
The format of such training or programs shall be in traditional live classroom or audience settings; teleconferences; video conferences; satellite transmissions; motion picture presentations; interactive video instructions; activities electronically transmitted from another location; on-line computer courses; or any other interactive format deemed appropriate by the commissioner, provided the training or program is not self-study or correspondence work. In no event shall such program and training solely consist of written materials. The training or program must be conducted in a physical setting that is comfortable and conducive to learning. Upon completion of the training or program, trainees shall receive a certificate of completion.
§ 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02506-01-7
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.