Relates to protecting the communication rights of individuals with disabilities; provides that each person with a disability has the right to autonomously communicate in their preferred manner and utilize any validated communication supports that meet their needs.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7792--C
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 6, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sens. FAHY, ADDABBO, ASHBY, BORRELLO, BRISPORT, BROUK,
BYNOE, CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK, CHAN, CLEARE, COONEY, FERNANDEZ, GONZA-
LEZ, GOUNARDES, HARCKHAM, HINCHEY, JACKSON, LANZA, LIU, MARTINEZ,
MARTINS, MATTERA, MAY, MAYER, MURRAY, MYRIE, OBERACKER, PALUMBO,
RAMOS, RIVERA, C. RYAN, SALAZAR, SCARCELLA-SPANTON, SEPULVEDA, SERRA-
NO, SKOUFIS, SUTTON, TEDISCO, WEBER, WEIK -- read twice and ordered
printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Disabil-
ities -- 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 -- recommitted to the Committee on Disabilities in accord-
ance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended,
ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to protecting the
communication rights of individuals with disabilities
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 13.45 to read as follows:
3 § 13.45 New York state communication bill of rights for individuals with
4 disabilities.
5 In order to ensure that each person with a disability is able to lead
6 a life of dignity, all persons with a disability shall have the right to
7 autonomously communicate in their preferred manner and utilize any vali-
8 dated communication supports that meet their needs, and all staff and
9 providers under this section shall ensure and acknowledge such rights.
10 For the purposes of this section, the term "validated communication"
11 shall mean that the communication method used is evidence-based, empir-
12 ically supported and has demonstrated results in autonomous communi-
13 cation on the part of the person communicating.
14 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
15 it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10990-15-6
