STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5141--B
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 12, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SANTABARBARA, RUSSELL, MILLER, CROUCH, ZEBROWSKI,
GUNTHER, ABINANTI, SCHIMEL, GRAF, MONTESANO, DUPREY, FINCH, McDONALD,
FAHY -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. CLARK, GALEF, KEARNS, MOSLEY,
RIVERA, SIMON, SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Committee on
Education -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
amended and recommitted to said committee -- again reported from said
committee with amendments, ordered reprinted as amended and recommit-
ted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to vocational rehabili-
tation services for enhancing communication support
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 1004-c
2 to read as follows:
3 § 1004-c. Communication support services. 1. The commissioner is here-
4 by directed to promulgate rules and regulations to include communication
5 support services as a vocational rehabilitation service as defined by
6 paragraph a of subdivision five of section one thousand two of this
7 article. Any individual who shall have been diagnosed with a pragmatic
8 language impairment or whose employment prospects may reasonably benefit
9 from an improved capacity to communicate shall qualify for communication
10 support services. All referrals made pursuant to this section shall be
11 made to individuals licensed, certified, registered or otherwise quali-
12 fied under existing state laws, rules and regulations. Nothing herein
13 shall be construed to alter or define scope of practice under existing
14 state laws, rules and regulations.
15 2. For the purposes of this section, "communication support services"
16 shall mean treatment or services that focus on communication-related
17 skills including, but not limited to, dialogue strategies for:
18 (i) initiating and exiting communication of intent;
19 (ii) topic maintenance;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05632-04-5
A. 5141--B 2
1 (iii) defusing hostile situations that result from ineffective
2 attempts at independent communication;
3 (iv) preparing, strategizing, and organizing information for written
4 or electronic correspondence; and
5 (v) preparing for upcoming interpersonal communication situations.
6 § 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2017.
