Bill Text: NY S05223 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes a special needs assisted living program to serve residents of certified assisted living residences with neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia or Parkinson's disease, who are experiencing behavior disturbances.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-19 - REFERRED TO HEALTH [S05223 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-S05223-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          5223

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    February 19, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sens.  RIVERA,  ASHBY, FERNANDEZ, GALLIVAN, WEBB -- read
          twice and ordered printed, and when printed to  be  committed  to  the
          Committee on Health

        AN  ACT  to  amend  the public health law, in relation to establishing a
          special needs assisted living program to serve persons  with  neurode-
          generative diseases

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

     1    Section 1. Section 4655 of the public health law, as added by  chapter
     2  2  of the laws of 2004, is amended by adding a new subdivision 7 to read
     3  as follows:
     4    7. (a) The department shall establish a neurodegenerative with  behav-
     5  iors  enhanced  special needs assisted living residence program to serve
     6  residents of certified assisted living residences with neurodegenerative
     7  diseases (such as Alzheimer's dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontal lobe
     8  dementia,  and  Parkinson's  disease)  with  behavior  disturbances,  as
     9  defined  by the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders or
    10  the international classifications of diseases.  To  participate  in  the
    11  program, assisted living operators shall obtain certification as both an
    12  enhanced  assisted  living  residence  and special needs assisted living
    13  residence.
    14    (i) Each program will have physician oversight and  supervision  under
    15  contract  with  the  site;  provide  nursing  services directly or under
    16  contract; and be limited to ten residential beds  per  program,  and  in
    17  addition may include two respite beds.
    18    (ii)  There  shall  be  no more than five residents per site who, upon
    19  admission, are in need  of  twenty-four-hour  skilled  nursing  care  or
    20  medical  care  which  would otherwise require placement in a hospital or
    21  nursing home.
    22    (iii) All program residents must be an admission requested by a lawful
    23  representative of the resident or have been declined admission or  read-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07046-01-5
        S. 5223                             2

     1  mission by: a nursing home; assisted living residence; enhanced assisted
     2  living  residence;  or special needs assisted living residence. In addi-
     3  tion, a physician or nurse practitioner must certify that  the  prospec-
     4  tive resident can be safely cared for in the program.
     5    (b)  The  program  shall  establish  environmental safeguards that are
     6  tailored to accommodate residents based upon needs as determined by  the
     7  supervising  physician  and  may  allow  a registered nurse to evaluate,
     8  assess and execute physician orders.
     9    (c) In addition to applicable statutory and  regulatory  requirements,
    10  the department may establish standards for the program, including:
    11    (i) ensuring character and competence of the applicant and contracting
    12  physician and compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations;
    13    (ii)  stabilization  of  behavior  disturbances  and  the provision of
    14  palliative care;
    15    (iii) applicable experience of  contract  and  direct  care  staff  in
    16  relation to the targeted population;
    17    (iv) person-centered planning for resident care; and
    18    (v)  staff  education  and  training,  which shall include, but not be
    19  limited to:
    20    (A) characteristics and needs of persons with Alzheimer's disease  and
    21  dementia  including behavioral symptoms, and mental and emotional chang-
    22  es;
    23    (B) assessment of care outcomes;
    24    (C) appropriate activities of daily living;
    25    (D) dementia-related behaviors and communication limitations;
    26    (E) other methods of meeting residents' needs on an individual basis;
    27    (F) use and operation of environmental modifications that protect  the
    28  health and safety of the residents; and
    29    (G) attaining professional affiliation or special qualifications rele-
    30  vant to serving persons with advanced needs.
    31    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.