What's happening
This bill establishes an independent public advocate to monitor and report on New York's DSRIP health program, with $100,000 appropriated for its operation.
Why it matters
Creates an independent watchdog. The bill sets up an office separate from the Department of Health, ensuring unbiased oversight of the DSRIP program, which is designed to reform Medicaid and improve healthcare delivery.
Transparency and accountability. By requiring regular public reports and making all gathered information about DSRIP spending and practices available for inspection, the bill aims to give both lawmakers and the public more visibility into how healthcare funds are used.
Access to detailed data. The advocate is empowered to obtain information from all agencies and public entities involved in DSRIP, potentially uncovering inefficiencies, mismanagement, or inequities in funding distribution.
Nonpartisan and expert oversight. The selection process for the advocate, involving a diverse committee of legislative leaders and a focus on health policy expertise, is intended to minimize political influence and ensure knowledgeable, fair monitoring.
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
Create Public Advocate Office
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to finance
- Referred to finance
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2327
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 13, 2017
Introduced by Sen. ALCANTARA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing an office of the independent public advocate and making an appropriation therefor
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new article 4-B to read as follows:
ARTICLE 4-B
OFFICE OF THE INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ADVOCATE Section 56. Establishment and organization.
57. Duties and responsibilities.
§ 56. Establishment and organization. 1. There is hereby established the office of the independent public advocate. The independent public advocate shall be appointed by a special committee established for this purpose. Such office shall be independent of the department of health and of any other office, agency, board or commission of the state or any of its political subdivisions.
2. a. The special committee shall consist of eleven members:
(i) three members shall be appointed by the governor;
(ii) three members shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
(iii) three members shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
(iv) one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly; and
(v) one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate.
b. Members of the committee shall possess extensive knowledge and experience in health policy and finance. The members of the special committee shall not be paid a salary or stipend.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06929-01-7
S. 2327 2
3. The special committee, pursuant to a publicly-inclusive screening and interview process, shall appoint the independent public advocate. The independent public advocate shall not be paid a salary or stipend. The independent public advocate shall be appointed without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of fitness to perform the duties of the office, and shall serve a four year term. The independent public advocate may be removed only for cause. In the event of a vacancy, the individual appointed to fill the vacancy shall be appointed pursuant to this section, and serve only for the unexpired portion of the term. The independent public advocate may employ and at their pleasure remove such personnel as they deem necessary for the performance of the office, and may fix their compensation with amounts available therefor.
4. The special committee shall be dissolved after the appointment of the independent public advocate. In the event of a vacancy, a new special committee shall be appointed pursuant to subdivision two of this section.
§ 57. Duties and responsibilities. 1. The independent public advocate shall monitor the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program and provide the legislature and the public with information regarding the implementation of the DSRIP program including the distribution of funds such as DSRIP planning grants, DSRIP provider incentive payments, and DSRIP administrative costs. The independent public advocate shall also issue regular reports to enhance official and public understanding of the DSRIP program including matters related to expenditures or financial management practices.
2. The independent public advocate shall be authorized to secure such information, data, estimates and statistics from all agencies and public entities involved in the implementation and distribution of funds for the DSRIP program. Such agencies and entities shall provide such information, to the extent that it is available, in a timely fashion.
3. The independent public advocate shall make all information, data, estimates, and statistics obtained under this section, and all reports prepared by the office, available for public inspection.
§ 2. The sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the office of the independent public advocate out of any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to the credit of the state purposes account, not otherwise appropriated, and made immediately available, for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this act. Such moneys shall be payable on the audit and warrant of the comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by the comptroller in the manner prescribed by law.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing an office of the independent public advocate and making an appropriation therefor
Purpose or general idea of bill
The purpose of this bill is to establish an office representing the independent public advocate.
Summary of provisions
This bill would:
* Establish an office and its organization which will represent the independent public advocate;
* State the offices duties and responsibilities.
Justification
The recently implemented Medicaid 1115 Waiver includes $6.42 billion allocation to the "Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment" (DSRIP) program. The goal of DSRIP is to financially support healthcare restructuring by improving the quality of patient care, enhancing community health outcomes and reducing per capita costs of care. The restructuring of the healthcare system through the DSRIP program will significantly impact local communities through consolidation, closure or relocation of existing services and changes in the ways in which healthcare resources are currently distributed.
Fiscal implications
The sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) or so much thereof as may be necessary will be appropriated to the office of the independent public advocate. The funds will be out of any money in the state treasury in the general fund to the credit if the state of purposes account not otherwise appropriated.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.