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.
