What's happening
This bill changes the requirements for annual assessments in the community guardianship program, allowing more professionals to evaluate individuals instead of requiring two psychiatrists or a psychiatrist and a psychologist.
Why it matters
Expands who can perform annual evaluations. By allowing physicians, nurse clinicians, social workers, and other qualified evaluators (not just psychiatrists or psychologists), the bill could make it easier and faster for the community guardianship program to fulfill its assessment obligations.
Eases administrative burdens and costs. The change may reduce delays and expenses associated with securing specific mental health professionals, making the guardianship process more efficient and potentially freeing up resources for other support services.
Potentially broadens perspectives on individual needs. Including professionals from different backgrounds (like social workers) could result in more holistic assessments of individuals’ conditions and functional levels, possibly leading to care decisions that consider a wider range of factors beyond strict medical or psychological criteria.
Could impact oversight and quality control. By loosening the credential requirements, there may be concerns about consistency and depth of the annual assessments, which could affect the quality of information used by courts to determine if guardianship should continue.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Ease Guardianship Review Rules
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to rules
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Advanced to third reading cal.992
- Reported
- Referred to mental health
- 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.
Update Guardianship Assessment Rules
In Senate Committee · Aging · Sponsor Diane J. Savino
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6614
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 10, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. TITONE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Mental Health
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to the community guardianship program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph (g) of subdivision 3 of section 473-d of the social services law, as added by chapter 846 of the laws of 1986 and such section as renumbered by chapter 395 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as follows:
(g) the community guardian program shall obtain [annual assessments from two qualified psychiatrists or one qualified psychiatrist and one qualified psychologist who are independent of the community guardian program of persons for whom it serves as committee or conservator to determine whether continuation of the guardianship is necessary, and the appointing court shall be informed of the results of such assessments and may discharge the community guardian program as conservator or committee pursuant to sections 77.35 and 78.27 of the mental hygiene law] annually a statement prepared by a physician, psychologist, nurse clinician, or social worker, or other person evaluating the condition and functional level of a person for whom the community guardian program serves as guardian pursuant to paragraph five of subdivision (b) of section 81.31 of the mental hygiene law;
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10504-01-7
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.