Establishes the statewide group home families working group; provides that duties include informing and advising the commissioner as to matters of importance for persons with developmental disabilities residing in group homes and their families and guardians, providing recommendations for statewide and regional priorities and goals for individuals residing in group homes and families and guardians of individuals residing in group homes, advising the commissioner on such other matters related to group homes as the statewide group home families working group deems relevant, holding regional public meetings to solicit and receive input from residents of group homes and family members and guardians of residents of group homes, and any matter relating to the performance of their duties with relation to individuals in group homes and on policies, Establishes the statewide group home families working group; provides that duties include informing and advising the commissioner as to matters of importance for persons with developmental disabilities residing in group homes and their families and guardians, providing recommendations for statewide and regional priorities and goals for individuals residing in group homes and families and guardians of individuals residing in group homes, advising the commissioner on such other matters related to group homes as the statewide group home families working group deems relevant, holding public meetings to solicit and receive input from residents of group homes and family members and guardians of residents of group homes, and any matter relating to the performance of their duties with relation to individuals in group homes and on policies, goals, budget and operation of group homes.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7794
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 6, 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 the
statewide group home families working group
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 13.03 of the mental hygiene law is amended by
2 adding a new subdivision 3 to read as follows:
3 3. "group home" means a community residence as defined in section 1.03
4 of this chapter, serving people with developmental disabilities.
5 § 2. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section 13.05-a
6 to read as follows:
7 § 13.05-a Statewide group home families working group.
8 (a) There is hereby established a statewide group home families work-
9 ing group. The statewide group home families working group shall consist
10 of eleven members to be appointed as follows:
11 1. one member shall be the commissioner of the office for people with
12 developmental disabilities, or their designee;
13 2. four members appointed by the governor;
14 3. two members selected by the temporary president of the senate;
15 4. two members selected by the speaker of the assembly;
16 5. one member selected by the minority leader of the senate; and
17 6. one member selected by the minority leader of the assembly;
18 (b) Members shall be persons with developmental disabilities with
19 lived experience residing in group homes or family members or guardians
20 of persons with developmental disabilities with lived experience resid-
21 ing in group homes.
22 (c) The governor shall designate one of the appointed members as
23 chair.
24 (d) Members shall be appointed for terms of three years. Vacancies
25 shall be filled in the same manner as original appointments for the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01472-03-5
S. 7794 2
1 remainder of the unexpired term. The designation of a member as chair
2 shall be made biannually.
3 (e) The statewide group home families working group shall have no
4 executive, administrative or appointive duties. The duties of the state-
5 wide group home families working group shall include, but not be limit-
6 ed to:
7 1. Informing and advising the commissioner as to matters of importance
8 for persons with developmental disabilities residing in group homes and
9 their families and guardians;
10 2. Providing recommendations for statewide and regional priorities and
11 goals for individuals residing in group homes and families and guardians
12 of individuals residing in group homes;
13 3. Advising the commissioner on such other matters related to group
14 homes as the statewide group home families working group deems relevant;
15 and
16 4. Soliciting and receiving input from current and former residents of
17 group homes and family members and guardians of residents of group homes
18 regarding the operation of group homes, including but not limited to
19 care provided and financial matters.
20 (f) The statewide group home families working group shall establish
21 such committees as deemed necessary by the chair.
22 (g) The statewide group home families working group shall meet at
23 least four times in each full calendar year and at least once during
24 each calendar quarter. In addition, the statewide group home families
25 working group may hold special meetings at the request of its chair or
26 the commissioner within ten days of receiving written notice of such
27 meeting.
28 1. Notice of a public meeting and a printed agenda, which may be
29 subject to later amendment, shall be made available to the public at
30 least fifteen days in advance of such meeting, including by publication
31 by the commissioner on the office's website.
32 2. At such meetings, interested parties shall be provided reasonable
33 opportunity, both orally and in writing, to comment regarding the opera-
34 tion of group homes, including but not limited to care provided and
35 financial matters.
36 (h) Members of the statewide group home families working group shall
37 receive no compensation for their services but shall be reimbursed for
38 all expenses actually and necessarily incurred by them in the perform-
39 ance of their duties.
40 (i) The statewide group home families working group shall submit by
41 January thirtieth, two thousand twenty-seven, and annually thereafter,
42 reports to the commissioner, the governor and the legislature reviewing
43 and analyzing matters of concern related to group homes. Such reports
44 shall include, but not be limited to, a review of comments made at
45 meetings of the statewide group home families working group, other
46 matters of importance deemed relevant to persons with developmental
47 disabilities residing in group homes and family and guardians of persons
48 with developmental disabilities residing in group homes; and a
49 description of recommendations for future action by the state.
50 (j) The statewide group home families working group shall regularly
51 communicate with the commissioner regarding its actions and duties and
52 shall fulfill its obligations under this section in collaboration with
53 the commissioner. The commissioner shall provide assistance to the
54 statewide group home families working group in the fulfillment of its
55 duties upon the reasonable request of the statewide group home families
56 working group.
S. 7794 3
1 § 3. Paragraph 1 of subdivision (b) of section 5.07 of the mental
2 hygiene law, as amended by section 3 of part N of chapter 56 of the laws
3 of 2012, subparagraphs f and g as amended and subparagraph h as added by
4 section 3 of part V of chapter 57 of the laws of 2021, is amended to
5 read as follows:
6 (1) The office of mental health, the office for people with develop-
7 mental disabilities and the office of [alcoholism and substance abuse
8 services] addiction services and supports shall formulate a statewide
9 comprehensive five-year plan for the provision of all state and local
10 services for persons with mental illness, developmental disabilities,
11 and/or those with substance use or compulsive gambling disorders. The
12 statewide comprehensive plan shall be based upon an analysis of local
13 services plans developed by each local governmental unit, in consulta-
14 tion with consumers, consumer groups, providers of services and depart-
15 mental facilities that furnish behavioral health services in conformance
16 with statewide priorities and goals established with recommendations of
17 the behavioral health services advisory council [and], the advisory
18 council on developmental disabilities and the statewide group home fami-
19 lies working group. The plan shall:
20 a. identify statewide priorities;
21 b. specify statewide goals that reflect the statewide priorities and
22 are focused on obtaining positive measurable outcomes;
23 c. propose strategies and initiatives to address the priorities and
24 facilitate achievement of statewide goals;
25 d. identify services and supports, which may include programs run or
26 led by peers, that are designed to promote the health and wellness of
27 persons with mental illness, developmental disabilities, and/or
28 substance use or compulsive gambling disorders;
29 e. provide analysis of current and anticipated utilization of state
30 and local, and public and private facilities, programs, services, and/or
31 supports;
32 f. encourage and promote person-centered, culturally and linguis-
33 tically competent community-based programs, services, and supports that
34 reflect the partnership between state and local governmental units;
35 g. include progress reports on the implementation of both short-term
36 and long-term recommendations of the children's plan required pursuant
37 to section four hundred eighty-three-f of the social services law; [and]
38 h. include final reports for time-limited demonstration programs
39 pursuant to subdivision (d) of section 41.35 of this chapter; and
40 i. include a discussion of the recommendations made by the behavioral
41 health services advisory council, the advisory council on developmental
42 disabilities and the statewide group home families working group.
43 § 4. Paragraph 4 of subdivision (b) of section 5.07 of the mental
44 hygiene law, as amended by chapter 412 of the laws of 2021, is amended
45 to read as follows:
46 (4) The commissioners of each of the offices shall be responsible for
47 the development of such statewide five-year plan for services within the
48 jurisdiction of their respective offices and after giving due notice
49 shall conduct one or more public hearings on such plan. The behavioral
50 health services advisory council [and], the advisory council on develop-
51 mental disabilities and the statewide group home families working group
52 shall review the statewide five year comprehensive plan developed by
53 such office or offices and report its recommendations thereon to such
54 commissioner or commissioners. Each commissioner shall submit the plan,
55 with appropriate modifications, to the governor no later than the first
56 day of November of each year in order that such plan may be considered
S. 7794 4
1 with the estimates of the offices for the preparation of the executive
2 budget of the state of New York for the next succeeding state fiscal
3 year. Such comprehensive plan shall be submitted to the legislature and
4 also be posted to the website of each office. Statewide plans shall
5 ensure responsiveness to changing needs and goals and shall reflect the
6 development of new information and the completion of program evalu-
7 ations. An interim report detailing the commissioner's actions in
8 fulfilling the requirements of this section in preparation of the plan
9 and modifications in the plan of services being considered by the
10 commissioner shall be submitted to the governor and the legislature on
11 or before the fifteenth day of March of each year. Such interim report
12 shall include, but need not be limited to:
13 (a) actions to include participation of consumers, consumer groups,
14 providers of services and departmental facilities, as required by this
15 subdivision; and
16 (b) any modifications in the plan of services being considered by the
17 commissioner, to include: (i) compelling budgetary, programmatic or
18 clinical justifications or other major appropriate reason for any
19 significant new statewide programs or policy changes from a prior
20 (approved) five year comprehensive plan; and (ii) procedures to involve
21 or inform local governmental units of such actions or plans.
22 § 5. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
23 have become a law.
