What's happening
This bill requires the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities to submit detailed, biannual residential waitlist and placement reports to the legislature.
Why it matters
Provides detailed transparency on residential waitlists. By requiring breakdowns by region, age of individuals and caregivers, type of placement needed, and medical needs, the legislation offers a clearer picture of where and what types of support are most urgently needed for people with developmental disabilities.
Tracks placement outcomes and failures. The bill mandates reporting not just on placements made but also on failed placements and requests for alternative arrangements, including reasons and planned remedies. This helps identify systemic barriers and informs targeted improvements in the system.
Links financial data to placement needs. By requiring cost reporting and a breakdown of funding sources and balances, the legislature and public can better understand how resources are allocated and whether current funding meets actual needs—crucial for future budgeting and policy decisions.
Requires future planning and projections. The inclusion of five-year projections for both out-of-home and in-home support needs, along with a plan to meet those needs, encourages proactive, long-term planning rather than reactive crisis management.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Disability Waitlist Reports
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
2 Multi-sponsors
History
- 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.
Report on Disability Waitlists
In Senate Committee · Mental Health And Developmental Disabilities · Sponsor Leroy Comrie
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3620
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 29, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. ORTIZ, WEPRIN, SANTABARBARA -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. COOK, CUSICK -- read once and referred to the Committee on Mental Health
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to requiring the office for people with developmental disabilities to submit an updated waitlist and placement report to the senate and assembly
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section 13.28 to read as follows: § 13.28 Office for people with developmental disabilities; residential
waitlist and placement report.
The office shall submit by January first, two thousand twenty-one, and every six months thereafter, an updated waitlist and placement report to the temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly, including the following information:
(a) Waitlist information. Such waitlist information shall include the statewide number of individuals awaiting placement broken down into the total number of individuals from within each developmental disability services office's geographic area who await residential placement and are expected to require such placement within the next year. Such information shall be grouped by the age of the individual awaiting placement and the age of their caregiver, if any. Such information shall also include:
1. the type of placement such individuals are expected to require divided into certified out-of-home, supervised, supportive placement and the number of such persons who are medically frail requiring intensive medical care;
2. non-certified residential placement outside of the parent's or parents' or other caregiver's home; and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08123-01-9
A. 3620 2
3. the number of individuals expected to require home and community based services waiver-funded habilitation services at-home;
(b) Placement information. Such placement information shall include:
1. the total number of individuals placed within each of the settings listed in paragraphs one, two and three of subdivision (a) of this section during the six months preceding the date of release of the report required pursuant to subdivision (c) of this section; and
2. the total number of individuals, who are not included on the waitlist, placed within each of the settings listed in paragraphs one, two and three of subdivision (a) of this section during the six months preceding the date of release of the report required pursuant to subdivision (c) of this section, and the reasons for such placements;
(c) The commissioner shall report the number of individuals who are currently placed in a residential program, whose current living situation is not adequate to meet their needs and who are awaiting an alternative placement. These individuals shall be divided according to:
1. the number and age of such individuals;
2. the settings listed in paragraphs one, two and three of subdivision (a) of this section; and
3. the number of children in residential placements expected to age out of such placements within a year and plans for continuing their placements as adults;
(d) The number of individuals whose placement failed or who have asked for an alternative placement, either themselves or through their parent or guardian acting on their behalf, over the six month period preceding the date of release of a report, with categorical descriptions of the reasons for such results and any actions taken or planned to remedy such situation;
(e) The cost of placements made during the period of such report divided into costs attributable to supervised, supportive, at-home residential placements or other placements;
(f) The appropriation authority used to fund placements made during the period of the report, including the year of the original appropriation and balance of remaining funds in such appropriation by category such as OPTS, NYS-CARES or other categories;
(g) Projected funding requirements for individuals remaining on the waiting list;
(h) An updated five year projection of individuals who will require out-of-home residential placement and a five year projection of individuals who require additional in-home supports;
(i) A plan for meeting the out-of-home residential placement needs shall also be developed and shall specify the type of placements according to such settings listed in paragraphs one, two and three of subdivision (a) of this section; and
(j) Any other information deemed necessary by the commissioner.
§ 2. 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.