Establishes a pilot program to create an assistance hotline for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and complex behavioral needs.
Summary
This bill would amend the mental hygiene law to require the Commissioner of the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities to establish and run a three-year pilot program for an assistance hotline serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and complex behavioral needs. The hotline would be available by toll-free phone and by video relay or other accessible technology for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech disabilities, and it would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The hotline would be staffed by trained employees who can help callers access OPWDD services, make referrals, and provide general information about services offered by the office. It would be available in English and the six most common non-English languages used by limited-English-proficient individuals in New York, based on the most recent census. At the end of the pilot, the commissioner must report to the governor and legislative leaders on how effective the program was.
Impact
The bill would add a new subdivision to section 13.17 of the mental hygiene law and create a new state-run service delivery mechanism within OPWDD. It would not directly change eligibility standards or benefit levels, but it would require the agency to recruit and train staff, maintain multilingual and disability-accessible communications, and evaluate the pilot’s effectiveness for possible future policy decisions. The measure primarily affects individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their parents or guardians, and the agency responsible for coordinating services.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to be broadly supportive of disability access and service navigation, with a focus on improving communication and reducing barriers to care. There is no recorded committee debate or vote history in the provided materials, so no formal opposition or support is documented. The overall tone of the proposal is practical and service-oriented rather than controversial.
Contention
No specific points of contention are reflected in the provided transcripts or voting history, because none were supplied. Potential areas that could draw scrutiny in a broader legislative setting include the cost of staffing a 24/7 hotline, the feasibility of multilingual and accessible service coverage, and whether a pilot hotline would duplicate existing OPWDD information channels. However, those concerns are not expressly raised in the available record.
Establishes a pilot program to create an assistance hotline for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and complex behavioral needs.
Establishes "Justice for Vulnerable Residents Act"; creates Justice Center for the Protection of Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities.
Establishes "Justice for Vulnerable Residents Act"; creates Justice Center for the Protection of Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities.