STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2597
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 28, 2019
___________
Introduced by Sens. PARKER, KENNEDY, MONTGOMERY, PERSAUD -- read twice
and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee
on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to the autism
detection and education program and mapping of autism locations
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivisions (d) and (e) of section 13.42 of the mental
2 hygiene law, as added by chapter 469 of the laws of 2016, are amended to
3 read as follows:
4 (d) (1) There is hereby created within the board the autism detection,
5 education and mapping program. This program is established to promote
6 screening and detection of autism, to educate the public regarding
7 autism, to provide counseling and referral services and to map locations
8 of occurrence of autism.
9 (2) The program shall include the:
10 (i) establishment of a statewide public education and outreach
11 campaign to publicize autism detection and education services, such
12 campaign shall include: general community education, autism screening
13 services, information on the extent of coverage for such services by
14 health insurance, any available medical assistance program and other
15 public and private programs.
16 (ii) provision of grants to approved organizations under subdivision
17 (e) of this section; and
18 (iii) compilation of data concerning the autism detection, education
19 and mapping program including mapping of the frequency of the occurrence
20 of autism in various locations in the state and dissemination of the
21 data to the public.
22 (e) (1) The board shall make grants within the amounts appropriated to
23 approved organizations, as defined in paragraph two of this subdivision,
24 for the provision of services relating to autism screening, detection
25 and mapping as part of this program. Such services shall include but not
26 be limited to the:
27 (i) promotion and provision of detection of autism;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08325-01-9
S. 2597 2
1 (ii) provision of counseling and information on treatment options and
2 referral for appropriate medical treatment;
3 (iii) dissemination of information to the general public and to health
4 care professionals concerning autism, the benefits of detection and
5 treatment, and the availability of autism services;
6 (iv) identification of local autism screening services within the
7 approved organization's region;
8 (v) provision of information, counseling and referral services to
9 individuals diagnosed with autism; and
10 (vi) mapping of the frequency of the occurrence of autism in various
11 locations of the state.
12 (2) For the purposes of this section, "approved organization" shall
13 mean an organization approved by the board, to provide services under
14 this subdivision. Such organizations shall include, but not be limited
15 to, the following:
16 (i) a hospital licensed under article twenty-eight of the public
17 health law;
18 (ii) a health maintenance organization licensed under article forty-
19 three of the insurance law or certified under article forty-four of the
20 public health law;
21 (iii) an organization with program expertise in autism related issues;
22 (iv) a county or city health department; or
23 (v) any combination of the above.
24 (3) The board shall develop recommendations for the implementation of
25 autism detection, education and mapping programs by approved organiza-
26 tions which shall ensure the following:
27 (i) integration of the approved organization with existing health care
28 providers;
29 (ii) maximizing third party reimbursement; and
30 (iii) providing data collection for mapping of the occurrence of
31 autism in various locations of the state.
32 (f) Such board shall meet at least quarterly. Special meetings may be
33 called by the chair. The agenda and meeting place of all regular or
34 special meetings shall be made available to the public in advance of
35 such meetings.
36 [(e)] (g) The advisory board shall submit a written report to the
37 governor, the temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the
38 assembly by no later than October first of the year next succeeding the
39 effective date of this section and annually thereafter, setting forth
40 the recommendations and activities of the council on matters within the
41 scope of its duties as set forth in this section. Such annual report
42 shall also include information concerning the operation of the autism
43 detection, education and mapping program, and the experience of the
44 program in providing detection, education and mapping of the frequency
45 of the occurrence of autism in various locations around the state.
46 Approved organizations shall provide such data and assessment as the
47 board may require for such report. Such report shall also include any
48 recommendations for additional action to respond to the high incidence
49 of autism in this state.
50 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
51 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
52 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
53 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
54 on or before such effective date.