STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3758 2021-2022 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 30, 2021 ___________ Introduced by Sen. SERINO -- 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 the interagency coordinat- ing committee for streamlined services for the aging The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Article 2 of the elder law is amended by adding a new title 2 2 to read as follows: 3 TITLE 2 4 NEW YORK STATE INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE FOR STREAMLINED 5 SERVICES FOR THE AGING 6 Section 230. New York State interagency coordinating committee for 7 streamlined services for the aging. 8 § 230. New York State interagency coordinating committee for stream- 9 lined services for the aging. 1. There is hereby created a committee to 10 be known as "the interagency coordinating committee for streamlined 11 services for the aging," to be comprised of seventeen members. The 12 director for the state office for the aging or his or her designee shall 13 serve as chairperson. The members shall be the following, or a duly 14 designated representative: the commissioner of health; the commissioner 15 of transportation; the commissioner of housing and community renewal; 16 the commissioner of the office of mental health; the commissioner of the 17 office for people with developmental disabilities; the commissioner of 18 the office of children and family services; the commissioner of the 19 office of temporary and disability assistance; secretary of state; the 20 director of the office of information technology services; and the 21 commissioner of taxation and finance. Six additional members, all of 22 whom shall be aging not-for-profits, organizations, or service providers 23 and consumers representing the aging community shall be appointed to 24 serve a term of three years as follows: two by the temporary president 25 of the senate, two by the speaker of the assembly, one by the minority EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD07817-01-1S. 3758 2 1 leader of the senate, and one by the minority leader of the assembly. 2 Such additional members shall be broadly representative of consumers and 3 providers when making such appointments. Members of the committee shall 4 receive no salary. 5 2. The committee shall have the following powers and duties: 6 (a) Develop a statewide survey to identify where there are gaps and 7 barriers to access to services for the elderly. The committee shall 8 develop recommendations for the distribution of the survey to reach a 9 representative sample of the senior population in New York to identify 10 trends in areas including, but not limited to, mental health services, 11 transportation, public health and housing. 12 (b) Develop a simplified senior application for need-based programs in 13 the state that seniors may qualify for. 14 (c) Coordinate with local offices for the aging to supplement the 15 simplified senior application as articulated in paragraph (b) of this 16 subdivision to create regional specific addendums including applications 17 for public transportation, wellness programs, emergency contact forms, 18 and other regionally-specific programs. 19 (d) Develop an online application tool to be utilized by a designated 20 lead agency to supply the simplified senior application as articulated 21 in paragraph (b) of this subdivision for consumers on the internet. 22 (e) Make recommendations to the office for data sharing across agen- 23 cies with the intent to track enrollment and identify trends in service 24 needs. 25 (f) Develop a standard medical expense deduction worksheet for seniors 26 as well as informational materials regarding qualifying expenses for 27 certain needs-based programs. 28 (g) Make recommendations regarding simplified certification and 29 re-certification procedures across programs to establish eligibility. 30 (h) Develop informational materials and a public awareness campaign to 31 disseminate general information about the availability of services for 32 the elderly, including recommendations for distributing information to 33 families or caregivers. 34 (i) Develop recommendations to target and distribute simplified appli- 35 cations to New York seniors. 36 3. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the committee or its members 37 from pursuing federal funding to implement any of the provisions in this 38 section. 39 4. The committee shall meet as necessary to carry out its functions, 40 powers, and duties, but such meetings shall occur at least once each 41 quarter. 42 5. The committee shall provide a report to the governor, the temporary 43 president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, and the chairs of 44 the aging committees in the senate and the assembly on or before Septem- 45 ber first of each year, beginning in two thousand twenty-two. Such 46 report shall summarize the committee's activity during the preceding 47 year and shall detail legislative recommendations appropriate to effec- 48 tuate the purposes of this section, and any other recommendations for 49 improving the provision of services. It shall include information 50 detailing increases in enrollment in needs based programs for seniors 51 administered by the agencies listed in subdivision one of this section. 52 Such report shall also include a proposed agenda consisting of specific 53 issues that the committee plans to address during the following fiscal 54 year. 55 6. Members of the committee shall be appointed within ninety days 56 after the effective date of this section, however, the committee mayS. 3758 3 1 proceed with their business and effectuating the duties of this section 2 in ninety days without regard to the completion of the appointment proc- 3 ess. 4 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.