Senate Disabilities Committee advances a slate of disability-related bills, referring several to committees
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Summary
The Senate Disabilities Committee on March 31, 2026, reported multiple bills addressing daycare emergency plans, housing options for people with developmental disabilities, early intervention eligibility and more; several measures were referred to Senate Finance or Education for further review.
The New York State Senate Disabilities Committee on Tuesday advanced a package of bills addressing emergency planning, housing and services for people with disabilities, and special-education parent engagement.
Senator Pat Fahey opened the session, confirmed a quorum and moved several measures forward. The committee clerk read bill language aloud while senators moved and seconded motions to report or refer each measure to the appropriate next step.
The committee reported S.1197 (Adabo) to the calendar. The bill, as read aloud by the clerk, would amend the Social Services Law to require daycare facilities to maintain evacuation and lockup plans for children with disabilities during an emergency. Senator Fahey moved the measure; the motion was moved by Senator Broussard and seconded by Senator Martinez. The committee recorded ayes and the bill was reported.
The panel referred S.4042 (Harcombe), the so-called "Traveling with Dignity" Act, to Senate Finance. The clerk read that the bill would amend the Civil Rights Law and the Public Buildings Law; Senator Fahey moved the referral and the committee approved reporting it to Senate Finance.
S.4845 (Fahey), which the clerk described as an amendment to part 2 of chapter 59 of the Laws of 2016 relating to the Mental Hygiene Law and the closure or transfer of state-operated individualized residential alternatives, was reported to the calendar after a motion by Senator Scarcellus Fantin and second by Senator Weber.
The committee also reported S.4848 (Foege), directing the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities to establish a care demonstration program under chapter 670 of the Laws of 2021, and S.5538 (Baskin), which would amend the Public Health Law to make infants with elevated venous blood levels eligible for state early intervention services. Both measures were moved, seconded and approved for reporting to the calendar.
S.4908 (Fahey), an "innovative housing initiative" bill intended to create a residential option and related disclosure requirements for persons with developmental disabilities and to adjust certain General Business Law filing requirements for cooperative interests, was reported and referred to Senate Finance.
Senator Fahey said S.7792c would be laid aside while the committee continues to work with academics and stakeholder groups; that bill was not reported. The committee concluded by reporting S.7826 (Fahey), which would direct school districts to establish parent advisory councils on special education, to the Education Committee and then adjourning.
The meeting record shows motions, seconders and recorded ayes for each item, but individual roll-call vote tallies by member were not provided in the transcript. The next procedural steps are referral to Senate Finance or Education for several measures and placement on the calendar for others.
