S01149 Summary:

BILL NOS01149B
 
SAME ASNo Same As
 
SPONSORO'MARA
 
COSPNSRYOUNG
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Amd S365-h, Soc Serv L; amd S73-d, Transp L
 
Relates to the interagency coordinating committee on rural public transportation.
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S01149 Actions:

BILL NOS01149B
 
01/09/2015REFERRED TO HEALTH
02/27/2015AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO HEALTH
02/27/2015PRINT NUMBER 1149A
06/02/2015AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO HEALTH
06/02/2015PRINT NUMBER 1149B
06/15/2015COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES
06/15/2015ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.1519
06/25/2015RECOMMITTED TO RULES
01/06/2016REFERRED TO HEALTH
05/03/2016RECOMMIT, ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN
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S01149 Committee Votes:

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S01149 Floor Votes:

There are no votes for this bill in this legislative session.
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S01149 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                         1149--B
 
                               2015-2016 Regular Sessions
 
                    IN SENATE
 
                                     January 9, 2015
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced by Sens. O'MARA, YOUNG -- read twice and ordered printed, and
          when  printed  to be committed to the Committee on Health -- committee
          discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
          to said committee  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered
          reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
        AN  ACT  to amend the social services law and the transportation law, in
          relation to the interagency coordinating  committee  on  rural  public
          transportation
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. The opening paragraph of subdivision 4 of section 365-h  of
     2  the  social  services law, as separately amended by section 50 of part B
     3  and section 24 of part D of chapter 57 of the laws of 2015,  is  amended
     4  to read as follows:
     5    The commissioner of health is authorized to assume responsibility from
     6  a  local social services official for the provision and reimbursement of
     7  transportation costs under this section. If the commissioner  elects  to
     8  assume  such  responsibility,  the  commissioner  shall notify the local
     9  social services official in writing as to the election,  the  date  upon
    10  which the election shall be effective and such information as to transi-
    11  tion  of responsibilities as the commissioner deems prudent. The commis-
    12  sioner is authorized to contract with a transportation manager or manag-
    13  ers to manage transportation  services  in  any  local  social  services
    14  district,  other  than  transportation services provided or arranged for
    15  enrollees of managed long term care plans issued certificates of author-
    16  ity under section forty-four hundred three-f of the public  health  law.
    17  Any  transportation  manager or managers selected by the commissioner to
    18  manage transportation services shall have proven experience  in  coordi-
    19  nating  transportation  services  in  a  geographic and demographic area
    20  similar to the area in New York state within which the contractor  would
    21  manage  the provision of services under this section. Such a contract or
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04266-05-5

        S. 1149--B                          2
 
     1  contracts may include responsibility for: review, approval and  process-
     2  ing  of  transportation  orders;  management of the appropriate level of
     3  transportation based on documented patient medical need; and development
     4  of new technologies leading to efficient transportation services. If the
     5  commissioner  elects  to  assume such responsibility from a local social
     6  services district, the commissioner shall examine and[, if appropriate,]
     7  adopt quality assurance measures that may include, but are  not  limited
     8  to,  global  positioning  tracking  system  reporting  requirements  and
     9  service verification mechanisms. Any and all reimbursement rates  devel-
    10  oped  by  transportation  managers  under this subdivision shall include
    11  rates for public transportation that reflect the cost to provide service
    12  to eligible individuals and shall be subject to the review and  approval
    13  of  the commissioner.  In reviewing the reimbursement rates developed by
    14  transportation managers, the commissioner shall consult with the intera-
    15  gency coordinating committee on rural public transportation  as  defined
    16  in section seventy-three-d of the transportation law.
    17    § 2. Section 73-d of the transportation law, as amended by chapter 562
    18  of the laws of 1987, is amended to read as follows:
    19    § 73-d. Interagency coordinating committee on rural public transporta-
    20  tion. 1. There is hereby created a committee to be known as the "intera-
    21  gency  coordinating  committee  on  rural  public transportation", to be
    22  comprised of nineteen members. The commissioner or his or  her  designee
    23  shall  serve as chairperson. Twelve of such members shall be the follow-
    24  ing or his or her duly designated representative: the  director  of  the
    25  office for the aging; the commissioner of education; the commissioner of
    26  labor;  the  commissioner  of  health; the commissioner of the office of
    27  mental  health;  the  commissioner  of  the  office  of  alcoholism  and
    28  substance  abuse;  the commissioner of the office [of mental retardation
    29  and] for people with developmental  disabilities;  the  commissioner  of
    30  [social services; state advocate for the disabled] the office for tempo-
    31  rary  and  disability assistance; the executive director of the New York
    32  state justice center for the protection of people  with  special  needs;
    33  the  secretary  of  state; the commissioner of agriculture and markets[;
    34  the director of the office of rural affairs] and the  [director  of  the
    35  division  for  youth]  commissioner of the office of children and family
    36  services. Six additional members, all of whom  shall  be  transportation
    37  providers or consumers representing rural counties shall be appointed to
    38  serve  a  term of three years as follows: two by the [president pro-tem-
    39  pore] temporary president of the senate,  two  by  the  speaker  of  the
    40  assembly,  one  by  the  minority  leader  of the senate, and one by the
    41  minority leader of the assembly. Efforts shall  be  made  to  provide  a
    42  broad  representation  of  consumers  and  providers  of  transportation
    43  services in rural counties when  making  such  appointments.    The  six
    44  members appointed by the legislature, as well as the commissioner or his
    45  or her designee, shall be the voting members. The balance of the commit-
    46  tee  will  serve  in  an  advisory or consulting capacity. The committee
    47  shall keep a record of its official actions. Members  of  the  committee
    48  shall receive no salary.
    49    The  commissioner  shall cause the department to provide staff assist-
    50  ance necessary for the efficient and effective operation of the  commit-
    51  tee.
    52    2.  The  committee  shall[:] meet at least once every three months and
    53  shall report to the speaker of the assembly, the temporary president  of
    54  the  senate,  and  the  governor  annually, beginning October first, two
    55  thousand fifteen. The annual report shall:

        S. 1149--B                          3
 
     1    a. identify existing rural transportation systems and describe  rider-
     2  ship, revenue, and financial challenges for each system;
     3    b.  identify  rural populations currently utilizing public transporta-
     4  tion, as well as populations in need of  public  transportation  without
     5  access,  and  discuss  recommendations  for  maintaining  and  expanding
     6  services;
     7    c. include a breakdown by county of cost savings, modes of transporta-
     8  tion provided to Medicaid patients, and rates of utilization  of  public
     9  transportation by Medicaid patients;
    10    d.  identify programs and the annual amounts and sources of funds from
    11  such programs that are eligible to be  used  to  support  a  coordinated
    12  public  transportation  service,  and  the annual amounts and sources of
    13  such funds that are actually  used  for  client  transportation  or  for
    14  transportation  of persons in connection with agency-affiliated programs
    15  or services; such data shall be provided on a county basis;
    16    [b.] e. identify restrictions on existing programs that inhibit  funds
    17  from  such programs being used to pay for a coordinated public transpor-
    18  tation service in rural counties;
    19    [c.] f. recommend changes in state or local laws or  regulations  that
    20  would  improve the coordination of funds, facilities, vehicles or equip-
    21  ment and other resources used for transportation at the local level[;
    22    d. upon request, compile and forward to the commissioner any  data  or
    23  other information required by this section].
    24    3.  The  committee  shall  be  required to examine reimbursement rates
    25  developed by transportation managers pursuant  to  subdivision  four  of
    26  section  three hundred sixty-five-h of the social services law for coun-
    27  ties with a population of two hundred thousand or  less.  The  committee
    28  shall  submit recommendations for proposed and effective rates for rural
    29  communities to the commissioner of health with  recommendations  includ-
    30  ing,  but  not limited to, adjustments to individual ridership fares for
    31  public transportation utilization, rates for low-cost coordinated trans-
    32  portation with other human  service  agencies,  and  rates  for  private
    33  transportation with considerations of availability and cost savings.
    34    The  commissioner  of health shall consult with the committee prior to
    35  approval of rates proposed  under  subdivision  four  of  section  three
    36  hundred  sixty-five-h  of  the  social  services law for counties with a
    37  population of two hundred thousand or less.  Any  proposal  for  a  rate
    38  adjustment for rural communities after approval shall be examined by the
    39  committee prior to approval by the commissioner.
    40    4.  A  majority of the whole number of voting members of the committee
    41  shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of the  committee's  busi-
    42  ness.  The  committee  shall have the power to act by a majority vote of
    43  the voting members. Committee members  shall  hold  office  until  their
    44  successors  have  been  appointed  and  have qualified. The selection of
    45  successors to fill a vacancy shall be made in the same manner  in  which
    46  the retiring committee members shall have been selected.  Members of the
    47  committee  shall  receive  no salary or other compensation, but shall be
    48  entitled to their actual and  necessary  expenses,  including  traveling
    49  expenses incurred in the discharge of their duties.
    50    §  3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided that the amend-
    51  ments to the opening paragraph of subdivision 4 of section 365-h of  the
    52  social services law made by section one of this act shall not affect the
    53  repeal  of  such  section and shall expire and be deemed repealed there-
    54  with.
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