Establishes the task force on adults with autism within the office for people with developmental disabilities to study, evaluate and develop recommendations relating to specific actionable measures to support and meet the needs of adults with autism.

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S882-2013 Actions

• Feb 4, 2013: REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE
• Jan 9, 2013: REFERRED TO MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

S882-2013 Meetings

Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities: Feb 4, 2013

S882-2013 Votes

S882-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S882

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing the task
force on adults with autism; and providing for the repeal of such
provisions upon expiration thereof

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Establishes the task force on adults with Autism within the Office for
People With Developmental Disabilities.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Legislative findings.

Section 2: Amends the Mental Hygiene law adding a new section 13.41
which creates the Task Force on adults with Autism. The task force
shall be comprised of nine members as follows:

* Commissioner of the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities;

* Commissioner of Health;

* Commissioner of Education:

* Deputy Commissioner for Adult Career and Continuing Education
Services within the Education Department;

* Commissioner of Labor; and

* Four (4) members with demonstrated expertise in issues relating to
the work of the task force, two (2) of whom are appointed by the
Governor, and one each appointed by the Temporary President of the
Senate and the Speaker of the Assembly.

The task force shall study, evaluate and develop recommendations
relating to specific actionable measures to support and meet the
needs of adults with Autism who are residents of the state, including
such needs as vocational, residential and social needs. The
recommendations of the task force shall comprise the basis for a
comprehensive plan for meeting the needs of adults with Autism and
shall be submitted to the Governor and the Legislature on or before
April 1st, 2014.

Section 3: Effective date.

JUSTIFICATION:
The legislature has found that Autism is a lifelong disability, yet
much of the focus on Autism spectrum disorders relates to education
and development, and neglects concerns that may arise later in a
person's life. There is a pressing need for policymakers and
advocates in the state to formulate achievable goals for state
government to meet in order to better serve the community of adults
with Autism spectrum disorders. To this end, it is in the public
interest to establish a task force on adults with Autism to develop a


comprehensive plan for meeting the various needs of adults with
Autism spectrum disorders living in New York.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
S.2135-B of 2012: Passed Senate, Died in Assembly Mental Health
S.2135-A of 2011: Passed Senate, Died in Assembly Mental Health
S.6647 of 2010: Referred to Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Minimal to State.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed
repealed 2 years after such effective date.

S882-2013 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                     882

                         2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                                 (PREFILED)

                               January 9, 2013
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by Sens. BONACIC, FUSCHILLO, GRIFFO, LANZA -- read twice and
    ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on
    Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities

  AN  ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing the
    task force on adults with autism; and providing for the repeal of such
    provisions upon expiration thereof

    THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section  1. Legislative findings. The legislature finds that autism is
  a lifelong disability, yet much of the focus on autism  spectrum  disor-
  ders  relates  to  education and development, and neglects concerns that
  may arise later in a person's life.  The  legislature  also  finds  that
  adults with autism may face significant challenges in various aspects of
  their  lives,  including  such areas as job placement, housing and long-
  term care. Further, just as the autism spectrum covers a wide  range  of
  functional  abilities,  so  does  the need for services and supports for
  adults with autism. Consequently, the legislature finds that there is  a
  pressing  need  for policymakers and advocates in the state to formulate
  achievable goals for state government to meet in order to  better  serve
  the  community of adults with autism spectrum disorders. To this end, it
  is in the public interest to establish  a  task  force  on  adults  with
  autism  to develop a comprehensive plan for meeting the various needs of
  adults with autism spectrum disorders living in New York.
    S 2. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new  section  13.41
  to read as follows:

  S 13.41 TASK FORCE ON ADULTS WITH AUTISM.
    (A)  THERE  IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED THE TASK FORCE ON ADULTS WITH AUTISM
  IN THE OFFICE. THE PURPOSE OF THE TASK FORCE SHALL BE TO STUDY, EVALUATE
  AND DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS RELATING TO SPECIFIC ACTIONABLE MEASURES  TO
  SUPPORT  AND  MEET  THE NEEDS OF ADULTS WITH AUTISM WHO ARE RESIDENTS OF

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD02371-01-3

 S. 882                              2

  THE STATE, INCLUDING SUCH NEEDS AS VOCATIONAL,  RESIDENTIAL  AND  SOCIAL
  NEEDS.  THE  RECOMMENDATIONS  OF THE TASK FORCE SHALL COMPRISE THE BASIS
  FOR A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR MEETING THE NEEDS OF  ADULTS  WITH  AUTISM,
  AND  SHALL  BE SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE PURSUANT TO
  SUBDIVISION (F) OF THIS SECTION.
    (B) THE TASK FORCE SHALL CONSIST OF NINE MEMBERS AS FOLLOWS:

    (1) THE COMMISSIONER, THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH, THE COMMISSIONER  OF
  EDUCATION,  THE  DEPUTY  COMMISSIONER  FOR  ADULT  CAREER AND CONTINUING
  EDUCATION SERVICES WITHIN THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND THE  COMMISSIONER
  OF LABOR; AND
    (2) FOUR MEMBERS WITH DEMONSTRATED EXPERTISE IN ISSUES RELATING TO THE
  WORK OF THE TASK FORCE; WITH TWO SUCH MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR,
  ONE  SUCH MEMBER APPOINTED BY THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, AND
  ONE SUCH MEMBER APPOINTED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, NO LATER  THAN
  THE THIRTIETH DAY AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION.
    VACANCIES  IN  THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE TASK FORCE SHALL BE FILLED IN THE
  SAME MANNER PROVIDED FOR BY THE ORIGINAL APPOINTMENTS.
    (C) THE COMMISSIONER OR THE COMMISSIONER'S  DESIGNEE  SHALL  SERVE  AS
  CHAIRPERSON  OF THE TASK FORCE. THE TASK FORCE SHALL ORGANIZE AS SOON AS
  PRACTICABLE FOLLOWING THE APPOINTMENT OF ITS MEMBERS AND SHALL SELECT  A
  VICE-CHAIRPERSON FROM AMONG THE MEMBERS. THE CHAIRPERSON SHALL APPOINT A
  SECRETARY WHO NEED NOT BE A MEMBER OF THE TASK FORCE.
    (D)  THE  MEMBERS  OF THE TASK FORCE SHALL RECEIVE NO COMPENSATION FOR
  THEIR SERVICES, BUT SHALL BE ALLOWED THEIR ACTUAL AND NECESSARY EXPENSES
  INCURRED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES.
    (E) TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT FEASIBLE, THE TASK FORCE SHALL  BE  ENTITLED
  TO  REQUEST  AND  RECEIVE,  AND  SHALL UTILIZE AND BE PROVIDED WITH SUCH
  FACILITIES, RESOURCES AND  DATA  OF  ANY  COURT,  DEPARTMENT,  DIVISION,
  BOARD, BUREAU, COMMISSION OR AGENCY OF THE STATE OR ANY POLITICAL SUBDI-
  VISION  THEREOF  AS  IT MAY REASONABLY REQUEST TO PROPERLY CARRY OUT ITS
  POWERS AND DUTIES.
    (F) THE TASK FORCE SHALL REPORT ITS FINDINGS  AND  RECOMMENDATIONS  TO
  THE  GOVERNOR,  THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF
  THE ASSEMBLY ON OR BEFORE APRIL FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FOURTEEN.
    S 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
  deemed repealed 2 years after such effective date.