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
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9472
IN ASSEMBLY
March 7, 2022
___________
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-b
2 to read as follows:
3 § 373-b. 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 his or her designee, who shall also serve as the chair of the
7 group, the commissioner of health, or his or her designee, the director
8 of the office for the aging, or his or her designee, the commissioner of
9 the division of homes and community renewal, or his or her designee, and
10 three members to be appointed by the governor, one of whom shall repre-
11 sent and have experience with the housing construction industry, one of
12 whom shall represent and have experience as an advocate for the disabled
13 community, and one of whom shall be an architect licensed in the state
14 of New York. The members of the study group shall receive no compen-
15 sation for their services, but shall be allowed their actual and neces-
16 sary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties pursuant to
17 this section. Such study group may conduct any hearings or take any
18 written testimony as it deems necessary and shall take all other steps
19 necessary to provide a thorough analysis of all issues related to senior
20 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
25 senior housing developments. Such enhancements may include, but shall
26 not be limited to:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14859-01-2
A. 9472 2
1 (a) installing ramps for all first-floor entrances at the front, rear,
2 or side of each building;
3 (b) requiring that all second-floor units have staircases sufficient
4 to allow the installation of chair glides, if necessary, for resident or
5 owner use;
6 (c) requiring that all residential full bathrooms should fulfill all
7 requirements for accessibility pursuant to the federal Americans with
8 Disabilities Act (ADA);
9 (d) requiring that all recreation facilities are made fully compliant
10 with ADA specifications and are accessible to all residents. This shall
11 include swimming pools with compliant ramp grading and rails, accessible
12 gates, and contrasting striping for those with limited vision;
13 (e) require the installation of ADA compliant door actuators for entry
14 and exit doors and bathrooms in clubhouses and recreation centers;
15 (f) require that all public United States postal service mailboxes and
16 locations shall be fully accessible, with curb cut ramps ensuring the
17 shortest path of travel from all units, and appropriate landings to
18 allow for turnaround space; and
19 (g) require that all resident parking spaces shall have a minimum of a
20 thirty-inch access aisle to ensure ease of function access to a person's
21 vehicle. This requirement shall be in addition to all visitor and acces-
22 sible parking spaces required by the New York state uniform fire
23 prevention and building code for accessibility.
24 3. The senior housing accessibility study group shall issue its final
25 recommendations in accordance with this section no later than thirty
26 days prior to the expiration of this section. Such study group shall
27 issue such report to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, the
28 minority leader of the assembly, the temporary president of the senate,
29 and the minority leader of the senate.
30 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
31 deemed repealed one year after it shall have become a law.
