Relates to notice requirement of adult care facility closures.
Summary
This bill adds a new section to the Social Services Law governing the closure of adult care facilities. It requires the Department to send written materials related to a revocation, suspension, limitation, or surrender of an operating certificate to state and local officials, including the Governor, Comptroller, Attorney General, Justice Center, affected legislators, county executives, local legislative leaders, and, in New York City, the relevant community board. The bill also requires the Department to post on its website, during the 30 days before a hearing, a summary of the violations, an explanation of who may be affected by the closure, and a summary of the operator’s plan to continue care for residents.
The bill further provides that these materials are generally exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Law, and it bars inclusion of individual identifying information. If a facility voluntarily surrenders its operating certificate, the Department must distribute the facility’s closure plan and related written materials to the same officials and entities. The act applies to closures occurring on or after its effective date, as well as closures already pending on that date.
Impact
The bill would amend the Social Services Law by creating a new notice-and-disclosure framework for adult care facility closures, expanding mandatory notification beyond the facility operator to multiple state and local oversight officials. It would also impose a public website posting requirement for certain closure-related information and establish confidentiality protections by exempting the underlying written materials from FOIL disclosure, while still allowing limited public-facing summaries. The practical effect is to increase government and community awareness of potential adult care facility disruptions and to formalize communication about resident transition plans.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests strong bipartisan support and little visible opposition. The Senate Rules Committee approved the bill unanimously, 21-0, and the Senate passed it unanimously, 59-0. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded debate in the supplied materials, but the unanimous votes indicate broad agreement with the bill’s consumer-protection and transparency goals.
Contention
No specific points of contention are reflected in the provided materials. The main policy balance in the bill is between transparency and confidentiality: it requires broad notice to officials and public summaries of closure-related issues, while also shielding the detailed written materials from public disclosure and excluding identifying information. Any concerns would likely center on administrative burden for the Department or facility operators, and on how much information should be made public without compromising resident privacy, but those objections are not documented in the supplied record.
Relates to the transparency and quality of care of operators of adult care facilities; requires certain applicants for adult care facilities to provide an opportunity for public comment on the application.
Permits the sale of goods that remain in a self-storage facility to enforce a lien by the facility through a public website, pursuant to notice requirements.
Establishes standards for the closure of bank accounts in the state of New York to include providing notice of closure and the return of funds to account owners.
Establishes standards for the closure of bank accounts in the state of New York to include providing notice of closure and the return of funds to account owners.