S 4838: Establishes a pilot program to create an assistance hotline for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and complex behavioral needs.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4838 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE February 13, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. FAHY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Disabilities AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing a pilot program to create an assistance hotline for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and complex behavioral needs The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 13.17 of the mental hygiene law is amended by 2 adding a new subdivision (e) to read as follows: 3 (e) 1. The commissioner shall establish and administer a three-year 4 pilot program to create an assistance hotline for individuals with 5 intellectual and developmental disabilities and complex behavioral 6 needs. 7 2. The assistance hotline shall be accessible via a toll-free tele- 8 phone number and video relay service or other technology accessible to 9 individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities, 10 that operates twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. 11 3. The office shall recruit and train employees to assist individuals 12 with intellectual and developmental disabilities and complex behavioral 13 health needs with access to services offered by the office. Individuals 14 with intellectual and developmental disabilities and complex behavioral 15 health needs, or the parent or guardian of such individuals, may call 16 the hotline to receive assistance with access to services, referral to 17 services, and general information on services offered by the office. 18 4. The hotline shall be accessible in English and the six most common 19 non-English languages spoken by individuals with limited-English profi- 20 ciency in New York state based on the most recent census and to those 21 who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech disabilities. 22 5. On or before the conclusion of the pilot program, the commissioner 23 shall submit a report to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, and EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01011-01-5 
 S. 4838 2 1 the temporary president of the senate evaluating the effectiveness of 2 the pilot program. 3 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 4 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment 5 and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation 6 of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and 7 completed on or before such effective date.