Bill Text: NY S02651 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Increases the frequency that visitation or inspections of facilities operated or licensed by the office for people with developmental disabilities must be made each year.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO DISABILITIES [S02651 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S02651-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          2651

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    January 23, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Mental Health

        AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation  to  increasing  the
          frequency of visitation and inspection of facilities per year

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Paragraph 1 of subdivision (a)  of  section  16.11  of  the
     2  mental  hygiene  law, as added by section 10 of part MM of chapter 58 of
     3  the laws of 2015, is amended to read as follows:
     4    (1) The review of facilities issued an operating certificate  pursuant
     5  to  this  article  shall  include periodic visitation and review of each
     6  facility. Reviews shall be made as frequently as  the  commissioner  may
     7  deem  necessary  but  in  any event such inspections shall be made on at
     8  least [two] three occasions during each calendar  year  which  shall  be
     9  without  prior  notice, provided, however, that where, in the discretion
    10  of the commissioner, an operating  certificate  has  been  issued  to  a
    11  program  with  a  history of compliance and a record of providing a high
    12  quality of care, the periodic inspection and visitation required by this
    13  subdivision shall be made at least [once]  twice  during  each  calendar
    14  year  provided  such  [visit]  visits  shall  be  without  prior notice,
    15  provided, however, that the commissioner provide notice  to  members  of
    16  the  applicable  board of visitors.  Any member or members of a board of
    17  visitors, appointed pursuant to section 13.33 of  this  title,  and  any
    18  other   individual  or  individuals  the  commissioner  at  his  or  her
    19  discretion approves, may accompany inspectors during the state's period-
    20  ic visitations and inspections conducted pursuant  to  this  section  as
    21  independent  monitors. Areas of review shall include, but not be limited
    22  to, a review of a facility's: physical plant,  fire  safety  procedures,
    23  health  care,  protective  oversight,  abuse and neglect prevention, and
    24  reporting procedures.
    25    § 2.  This act shall take effect immediately.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04513-01-3