Assembly Disabilities Committee advances five bills on developmental-disability services to calendar or finance

Assemblywoman Pat Fahey, chair of the Disabilities Committee, opened the March 4 meeting and led the committee in advancing five measures related to services and oversight for people with developmental disabilities.

The measures included a bill to name a state facility after Willie Mae Goody Goodman; a bill to amend the Mental Hygiene Law to safeguard cash accounts for people with developmental disabilities in facilities; two bills amending the Mental Hygiene Law (and in one case the Social Services Law) to add housing navigation services and to clarify duties of the independent developmental-disability ombudsman program; and a bill directing the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities to prepare a staffing plan for emergency staffing shortages. Most motions were to report a bill to the legislative calendar or to refer a bill to the Finance Committee, and the chair recorded “ayes” for the motions as they were taken by voice.

Why it matters: the group of measures touches oversight, financial protections and service navigation for New Yorkers with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and seeks to improve agency planning for staffing shortfalls.

What the committee did

- Naming measure: The committee considered “35 71,” described in the record as “an act in relation to naming a certain state facility after Willie Mae Goody Goodman.” A motion to move the bill (to report to the calendar) was made and recorded as passing by voice vote; an individual mover was not specified in the transcript and the recording shows only “ayes.”

- Safeguarding cash accounts (S 47 75): The committee moved to report to the calendar a bill described as amending the Mental Hygiene Law “in relation to safeguarding cash accounts for people with developmental disabilities in a facility.” The transcript records the motion, a second recorded as Senator Roxanne Persaud in the earlier motion discussion, and the chair recorded an aye vote.

- Housing navigation services (S 48.35): The committee voted to refer to Finance a bill described as amending the Mental Hygiene Law and the Social Services Law to provide housing navigation services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The motion was carried by voice vote; the transcript records “ayes” and no detailed roll-call tally.

- Independent developmental-disability ombudsman duties (S 48.71): The committee voted to refer to Finance a bill described as amending the Mental Hygiene Law to specify duties of the independent developmental-disability ombudsman program. The motion was seconded (the transcript records a second described as “Ashmi,” spelling not clear) and carried by voice vote.

- OPWDD staffing plan (S 49.007): The committee moved to report to the calendar a bill described as requiring the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) to create a staffing plan for work emergencies and staffing shortages. The motion was seconded (the transcript records a second with unclear spelling) and the chair recorded an aye vote.

No detailed roll-call tallies or individual yes/no vote listings appear in the transcript; the record consistently reports voice votes with ayes recorded and no nays recorded for the items considered.

Other business

Fahey also noted the committee had invited the acting director of OPWDD to attend a future meeting; she said the acting director has since been nominated by the governor for the permanent position and that the committee would try to schedule her to meet with members and address constituent questions. “She’s also been nominated by the governor for the permanent position,” Fahey said.

The meeting was adjourned after the five measures were advanced. No public testimony or extended debate on the merits of the bills is recorded in the transcript provided.