What's happening
This bill requires New York to develop and distribute model community programs, including telephone reassurance and visiting programs, to support seniors.
Why it matters
Directly addresses senior isolation and safety. by requiring structured check-ins, ensuring that elders who live alone or lack nearby family are regularly contacted and monitored for well-being, potentially preventing unnoticed emergencies.
Establishes clear procedures for emergency response. including secondary contacts and advance consent to law enforcement home entry—helping to avoid unnecessary police interventions while ensuring rapid assistance if a senior cannot be reached.
Promotes community engagement and intergenerational connections. through volunteer-based visiting programs, potentially reducing loneliness among seniors and offering meaningful opportunities for local residents, including students, to contribute.
Standardizes and spreads best practices. by mandating that the state develop and distribute model programs, enabling local agencies to implement effective, vetted approaches quickly rather than designing their own from scratch, which may improve program quality and reach.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Support Programs for Seniors
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to aging
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4880
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 3, 2017
Introduced by Sens. DIAZ, MONTGOMERY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Aging
AN ACT to amend the elder law, in relation to requiring establishment of model community programs for local agencies, including a model telephone reassurance program and a model visiting program for elders
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The elder law is amended by adding a new section 203-a to read as follows:
§ 203-a. Model community programs. In order to encourage the development of activities and programs that promote aging with dignity in communities, the office shall develop model community programs to be distributed upon request to local area agencies on aging and community based organizations. Such model community programs shall include the following:
1. A model telephone reassurance program shall be developed to provide for the following:
(a) phone calls by the organization maintaining the program to participating seniors at an agreed upon time each day;
(b) a secondary contact, where applicable, to be contacted if the senior does not answer the initial call and before local law enforcement are contacted;
(c) coordination with local law enforcement to ensure an appropriate response in the event the senior cannot be contacted;
(d) advance consent to access to the home by local law enforcement to determine the status of the senior if contact with the senior could not be made; and
(e) increased coordination between the seniors utilizing the program and program operators to reduce incidents resulting in unnecessary law enforcement response.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07197-01-7
S. 4880 2
2. A model visiting program shall be developed to provide seniors with a visitor who can offer contact on a regular basis and companionship for seniors who lack a network of family and friends in their communities. The model visiting program shall include:
(a) methods to obtain volunteers including by partnering with local educational institutions;
(b) systems to screen volunteers to both ensure a good match and protect seniors involved in the program;
(c) systems to periodically check on both volunteers and the seniors; and
(d) responses to problems that may arise.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the elder law, in relation to requiring establishment of model community programs for local agencies, including a model telephone reassurance program and a model visiting program for elders
Purpose or general idea of bill
To encourage the development of programs to assist seniors at the local level.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1. Amends the Elder Law by adding a new section 203-a. Requires the State Office for the Aging (SOFA) to develop model community programs for a telephone reassurance program and a visiting program that would be provided to local area agencies on aging and community based organizations upon request to assist them in developing programs at the local level.
Section 2. Effective Date
Existing law
None
Justification
Many programs function better at the local level, rather than being established by a state agency. However, many local organizations do not know how to proceed in organizing and establishing a program. This bill would require SOFA to create a model program that could be used by local area agencies on aging and community based organizations as a template to establish a telephone reassurance program or visiting program to assist seniors in their local communities.
Prior legislative history
2016: S.479- REFERRED TO AGING/ A. 5337- passed assembly 2015: S.479- REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE/A.5337- passed assembly 2014: S.148 - Advanced to 3rd Reading, Committed to Rules/A.1860 - Passed Assembly 2013: S.148 - Reported, Referred to Finance/A.1860 - Passed Assembly 2012: S.1898 - Notice of Committee Consideration Requested, Committee Discharged, Committed to Rules/A. 1702 - Enacting Clause Stricken/A.9071 - Reported, Referred to Ways and Means 2011: S.1898 - Discharged from Aging, Committed to Local Government/A.1702- Reported, Referred to Ways and Means 2009-10: A.11305 - Reported, Referred to Ways and Means
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
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.