Bill Text: NY S05440 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Establishes the council for treatment equity within the office of addiction services and supports.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-12-28 - COMMITTED TO RULES [S05440 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S05440-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5440--A 2019-2020 Regular Sessions IN SENATE May 1, 2019 ___________ Introduced by Sen. HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse -- recommitted to the Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing a council for treatment equity within the office of addiction services and supports 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 19.45 to read as follows: 3 § 19.45 The council for treatment equity. 4 1. Definitions. As used in this section: 5 (a) "Council" shall mean the council for treatment equity created 6 pursuant to this section which shall consist of a full time director and 7 any additional full or part-time staff the commissioner deems necessary 8 to effectuate the provisions of this section. 9 (b) "Treatment equity advisory board" shall mean the advisory board to 10 the council, created pursuant to subdivision three of this section. 11 (c) "Vulnerable populations" shall mean those who have experienced 12 injustices and disadvantages as a result of their race, ethnicity, sexu- 13 al orientation, gender identity, disability status, age, socioeconomic 14 status and/or any other status which has caused a person to experience 15 injustices and disadvantages. 16 (d) "Racially and ethnically diverse areas" shall mean counties where 17 the non-white population is forty percent or more or the service area of 18 an agency, corporation, facility or individual providing substance use 19 disorder services where the non-white population of said area is forty 20 percent or more. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD04782-02-0S. 5440--A 2 1 (e) "Provider of services" shall mean any agency, corporation, facili- 2 ty or individual providing substance use disorder services to vulnerable 3 populations. 4 (f) "Treatment disparities" shall mean measurable differences in 5 access to and quality of substance use disorder services as determined 6 by race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability 7 status, age and socioeconomic status. 8 (g) "Treatment equity" shall mean achieving the highest level of 9 substance use disorder services for all people and shall entail focused 10 efforts to address avoidable inequalities by equalizing those conditions 11 for substance use disorder services for those that have experienced 12 injustices and socioeconomic disadvantages. 13 2. The council for treatment equity. There is hereby created a council 14 for treatment equity. The council, in conjunction with the treatment 15 equity advisory board, shall have the following powers and duties: 16 (a) Work collaboratively with the office, other relevant state agen- 17 cies and affected stakeholders, including, but not limited to, providers 18 and representatives of vulnerable populations, in order to set priori- 19 ties to achieve treatment equity in both racial and ethnically diverse 20 areas and for vulnerable populations throughout the state; 21 (b) Analyze collected data to determine the causes of treatment 22 disparities in both racially and ethnically diverse areas and for 23 vulnerable populations throughout the state, including any economic, 24 physical, social or cultural barriers; 25 (c) Develop and implement strategies aimed at achieving treatment 26 equity in racially and ethnically diverse areas and among vulnerable 27 populations; 28 (d) Promote community involvement by conducting promotional and educa- 29 tional outreach programs regarding substance use disorders and available 30 services; and 31 (e) Review the impact of current laws, rules, regulations, policies 32 and programs that may be affecting the ability to achieve treatment 33 equity. 34 3. The treatment equity advisory board. (a) The treatment equity advi- 35 sory board shall consist of twelve members. Six members shall be 36 appointed by the governor, three members appointed by the temporary 37 president of the senate and three members appointed by the speaker of 38 the assembly. The chairperson of the board shall be the commissioner or 39 their designee. 40 (b) The members of the board shall be from the community with exper- 41 tise in conducting substance use disorder services. In making such 42 appointments, due consideration shall be given to ensuring adequate 43 geographic representation. 44 (c) The term of office for each member of the treatment equity advi- 45 sory board shall be two years. Vacancies in the treatment equity advi- 46 sory board, other than by expiration of a term, shall be filled for the 47 remainder of the unexpired term in the same manner as original appoint- 48 ments. 49 (d) The members of the treatment equity advisory board shall receive 50 no compensation for their services, but shall be reimbursed for all 51 expenses actually and necessarily incurred by them in the performance of 52 their duties under this section within the amount made available by 53 appropriation therefor. 54 4. Report. The council shall submit a written report to the governor, 55 the temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly no 56 later than one year succeeding the effective date of this section andS. 5440--A 3 1 annually thereafter, setting forth the findings, recommendations and 2 activities of the council on matters within the scope of its powers and 3 duties as set forth in this section. 4 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 5 it shall have become a law.