What's happening
This bill creates an independent ombudsperson program to help individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities resolve managed care complaints in New York.
Why it matters
Establishes an independent advocate. This program creates an office specifically dedicated to helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) navigate managed care, meaning individuals and families will have a specialized resource to turn to when they encounter problems with their health coverage or services.
Addresses network adequacy and service access. The ombudsperson’s responsibilities include investigating complaints about not just coverage denials, but also the adequacy of provider networks and ongoing access to necessary supports, which could lead to systemic improvements in how managed care organizations serve the IDD community.
Implements a competitive, transparent selection process. Funding for the program will be allocated after a request-for-proposal process, requiring the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities to consider and select the most competitive bid, potentially increasing accountability and quality in program administration.
Offers a structured solution to a common problem. By assigning explicit authority to investigate, refer, and resolve complaints, the bill gives people with IDD and their advocates a formal channel to address issues that often go unresolved, which might reduce service disruptions and improve health outcomes for a vulnerable population.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Create Disability Ombudsperson Office
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
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History
- Referred to mental health
- Referred to mental health
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
674
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by M. of A. BUTTENSCHON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Mental Health
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to the establishment of the independent intellectual and developmental disability ombudsperson program
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 33.29 to read as follows: § 33.29 Independent intellectual and developmental disability ombudsper-
son program.
(a) There is hereby established the office of the independent intellectual and developmental disability ombudsperson program that will be operated or selected by the office for people with developmental disabilities for the purpose of assisting individuals with an intellectual or developmental disability to ensure that they receive coverage from managed care organizations that is appropriate in meeting their individual service needs.
(b) Such ombudsperson will identify, investigate, refer and resolve complaints that are made by, or on behalf of, consumers relative to coverage under a managed care organization and access to initial and continuing intellectual and developmental disability services and supports; and accept, investigate, refer and help to resolve complaints that are made by or on behalf of consumers or by providers relative to network adequacy for access to intellectual and developmental disability services and supports.
(c) Notwithstanding sections one hundred twelve and one hundred sixty-three of the state finance law and section one hundred forty-two of the economic development law, or any other inconsistent provision of law, funds available for expenditure pursuant to this section for the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02185-01-5
establishment of an ombudsperson program for intellectual and developmental disability, may be allocated and distributed by the commissioner of the office for people with developmental disabilities, subject to the approval of the director of the budget, but only after the commissioner of the office for people with developmental disabilities holds a request for proposal process for the establishment of an ombudsperson program for intellectual and developmental disability. The commissioner of the office for people with developmental disabilities shall consider all competitive proposals submitted through such request for proposal process and shall determine, based on such commissioner's discretion, which proposal submitted is most competitive for the establishment of an ombudsperson program for intellectual and developmental disability.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
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.