Bill Text: NY A01577 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Directs the independent developmental disability ombudsman program to establish a service delivery structure based in New York state that includes a toll-free telephone hotline, an interactive website, and availability of in-person, telephone and email access to ombudsman program staff or volunteers; to provide assistance for navigating and completing processes; to assist individuals in filing and preparing appeals; to assist individuals with any problems encountered; and to educate individuals on their rights and responsibilities with respect to access to services provided by the office for people with developmental disabilities and care coordination provided by health homes serving individuals with developmental disabilities or services provided by other providers.
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-05-20 - substituted by s3108a [A01577 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-A01577-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Directs the independent developmental disability ombudsman program to establish a service delivery structure based in New York state that includes a toll-free telephone hotline, an interactive website, and availability of in-person, telephone and email access to ombudsman program staff or volunteers; to provide assistance for navigating and completing processes; to assist individuals in filing and preparing appeals; to assist individuals with any problems encountered; and to educate individuals on their rights and responsibilities with respect to access to services provided by the office for people with developmental disabilities and care coordination provided by health homes serving individuals with developmental disabilities or services provided by other providers.
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-05-20 - substituted by s3108a [A01577 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-A01577-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1577 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 17, 2023 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. BUTTENSCHON, DARLING, EPSTEIN -- read once and referred to the Committee on People with Disabilities AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing the independent developmental disability ombudsman program The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section 2 33.28 to read as follows: 3 § 33.28 Independent developmental disability ombudsman program. 4 (a) There is hereby established by the office for people with develop- 5 mental disabilities the independent developmental disability ombudsman 6 program for the purpose of assisting individuals with developmental 7 disabilities to ensure their access to services and preservation of 8 their rights. 9 (b) Such ombudsman program shall have the following duties, including, 10 but not limited to: 11 1. establishing a service delivery structure based in New York state 12 that includes a toll-free telephone hotline, an interactive website, and 13 availability of in-person, telephone and email access to ombudsman 14 program staff or volunteers; 15 2. identifying, investigating, referring and resolving complaints made 16 by, or on behalf of, individuals relative to their access to services 17 provided by the office for people with developmental disabilities or the 18 care coordination provided by health homes serving individuals with 19 developmental disabilities or services provided by other providers; 20 3. providing assistance for navigating and completing processes, such 21 as paperwork and documentation, to access services provided by the 22 office for people with developmental disabilities or the care coordi- 23 nation provided by health homes serving individuals with developmental 24 disabilities to individuals or services provided by other providers, 25 and/or anyone seeking assistance on their behalf; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD05102-01-3A. 1577 2 1 4. assisting individuals in filing and preparing appeals, and repres- 2 enting individuals in appeals and hearings concerning adverse benefit 3 determinations regarding services provided by the office for people with 4 developmental disabilities or health homes serving individuals with 5 developmental disabilities to individuals or services provided by other 6 providers; 7 5. collecting, tracking, and quantifying problems and inquiries 8 encountered by individuals; and 9 6. educating individuals on their rights and responsibilities with 10 respect to access to services provided by the office for people with 11 developmental disabilities and care coordination provided by health 12 homes serving individuals with developmental disabilities or services 13 provided by other providers. 14 (c) Notices and materials provided to individuals by the office for 15 people with developmental disabilities, providers of services, and the 16 health homes serving individuals with developmental disabilities shall 17 include the name, phone number and website address of the independent 18 developmental disability ombudsman program established by the office for 19 people with developmental disabilities pursuant to this section. 20 (d) Funds available for expenditure pursuant to this section for the 21 establishment of an independent developmental disability ombudsman 22 program may be allocated and distributed by the commissioner of the 23 office for people with developmental disabilities, subject to the 24 approval of the director of the budget, but only after the commissioner 25 of the office for people with developmental disabilities holds a request 26 for proposal process for the establishment of an independent develop- 27 mental disability ombudsman program. Only domestic not-for-profit corpo- 28 rations shall be eligible to submit proposals for such program. Entities 29 that currently receive funding from the office for people with develop- 30 mental disabilities to provide services to people with developmental 31 disabilities, or to operate care coordination organizations, or that 32 bill the Medicaid program for medical or healthcare services, shall be 33 excluded from consideration. The commissioner of the office for people 34 with developmental disabilities shall consider all competitive proposals 35 submitted through such request for proposal process and shall determine 36 which proposal submitted is appropriate for the establishment of an 37 independent developmental disability ombudsman program. In making such 38 determination, applicants who demonstrate experience providing advocacy 39 or assistance to people with developmental disabilities, experience 40 operating a call center, or experience tracking and reporting on case 41 activities while protecting individual confidentiality shall receive 42 deference for the award. 43 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 44 it shall have become a law.
