A 2490: Establishes the senior housing accessibility study group to examine and make recommendations for amending the New York state uniform fire prevention and building code to improve and enhance accessibility requirements for all newly constructed or substantially reconstructed senior housing developments.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2490 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY January 17, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. RA -- read once and referred to the Committee on Aging AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing the senior housing accessibility study group; and to repeal such provisions upon the expiration thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 373-c 2 to read as follows: 3 § 373-c. Senior housing accessibility study group. 1. There shall be 4 established a senior housing accessibility study group. Such study group 5 shall consist of the director of the division of building standards and 6 codes, or such director's designee, who shall also serve as the chair of 7 the group, the commissioner of health, or such commissioner's designee, 8 the director of the office for the aging, or such director's designee, 9 the commissioner of the division of homes and community renewal, or such 10 commissioner's designee, and three members to be appointed by the gover- 11 nor, one of whom shall represent and have experience with the housing 12 construction industry, one of whom shall represent and have experience 13 as an advocate for the disabled community, and one of whom shall be an 14 architect licensed in the state of New York. The members of the study 15 group shall receive no compensation for their services, but shall be 16 allowed their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance 17 of their duties pursuant to this section. Such study group may conduct 18 any hearings or take any written testimony as it deems necessary and 19 shall take all other steps necessary to provide a thorough analysis of 20 all issues related to senior housing accessibility. 21 2. The senior housing accessibility study group shall examine, evalu- 22 ate, and make recommendations for amending the New York state uniform 23 fire prevention and building code to improve and enhance accessibility 24 requirements for all newly constructed or substantially reconstructed EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD05741-01-5 
 A. 2490 2 1 senior housing developments. Such enhancements may include, but shall 2 not be limited to: 3 (a) installing ramps for all first-floor entrances at the front, rear, 4 or side of each building; 5 (b) requiring that all second-floor units have staircases sufficient 6 to allow the installation of chair glides, if necessary, for resident or 7 owner use; 8 (c) requiring that all residential full bathrooms should fulfill all 9 requirements for accessibility pursuant to the federal Americans with 10 Disabilities Act (ADA); 11 (d) requiring that all recreation facilities are made fully compliant 12 with ADA specifications and are accessible to all residents. This shall 13 include swimming pools with compliant ramp grading and rails, accessible 14 gates, and contrasting striping for those with limited vision; 15 (e) require the installation of ADA compliant door actuators for entry 16 and exit doors and bathrooms in clubhouses and recreation centers; 17 (f) require that all public United States postal service mailboxes and 18 locations shall be fully accessible, with curb cut ramps ensuring the 19 shortest path of travel from all units, and appropriate landings to 20 allow for turnaround space; and 21 (g) require that all resident parking spaces shall have a minimum of a 22 thirty-inch access aisle to ensure ease of function access to a person's 23 vehicle. This requirement shall be in addition to all visitor and acces- 24 sible parking spaces required by the New York state uniform fire 25 prevention and building code for accessibility. 26 3. The senior housing accessibility study group shall issue its final 27 recommendations in accordance with this section no later than thirty 28 days prior to the expiration of this section. Such study group shall 29 issue such report to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, the 30 minority leader of the assembly, the temporary president of the senate, 31 and the minority leader of the senate. 32 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be 33 deemed repealed one year after it shall have become a law.