A 674: Establishes the office of the independent intellectual and developmental disability ombudsperson program for the purpose of assisting individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities to ensure that they receive coverage from managed care organizations that is appropriate in meeting their individual service needs; uses a request for proposal process to determine who shall be responsible for such program.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 674 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. BUTTENSCHON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Mental Health AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to the establishment of the independent intellectual and developmental disability ombud- sperson program The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section 2 33.29 to read as follows: 3 § 33.29 Independent intellectual and developmental disability ombudsper- 4 son program. 5 (a) There is hereby established the office of the independent intel- 6 lectual and developmental disability ombudsperson program that will be 7 operated or selected by the office for people with developmental disa- 8 bilities for the purpose of assisting individuals with an intellectual 9 or developmental disability to ensure that they receive coverage from 10 managed care organizations that is appropriate in meeting their individ- 11 ual service needs. 12 (b) Such ombudsperson will identify, investigate, refer and resolve 13 complaints that are made by, or on behalf of, consumers relative to 14 coverage under a managed care organization and access to initial and 15 continuing intellectual and developmental disability services and 16 supports; and accept, investigate, refer and help to resolve complaints 17 that are made by or on behalf of consumers or by providers relative to 18 network adequacy for access to intellectual and developmental disability 19 services and supports. 20 (c) Notwithstanding sections one hundred twelve and one hundred 21 sixty-three of the state finance law and section one hundred forty-two 22 of the economic development law, or any other inconsistent provision of 23 law, funds available for expenditure pursuant to this section for the EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02185-01-5 
 A. 674 2 1 establishment of an ombudsperson program for intellectual and develop- 2 mental disability, may be allocated and distributed by the commissioner 3 of the office for people with developmental disabilities, subject to the 4 approval of the director of the budget, but only after the commissioner 5 of the office for people with developmental disabilities holds a request 6 for proposal process for the establishment of an ombudsperson program 7 for intellectual and developmental disability. The commissioner of the 8 office for people with developmental disabilities shall consider all 9 competitive proposals submitted through such request for proposal proc- 10 ess and shall determine, based on such commissioner's discretion, which 11 proposal submitted is most competitive for the establishment of an 12 ombudsperson program for intellectual and developmental disability. 13 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 14 it shall have become a law.