Bill Text: NY A08576 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Directs the commissioner of alcoholism and substance abuse services, in consultation with the director of the state office for the aging, to develop comprehensive chemical abuse prevention, education and treatment demonstration programs for senior citizens.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - referred to alcoholism and drug abuse [A08576 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A08576-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8576

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                   September 13, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M. of A. COOK, ORTIZ, CRESPO -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M.
          of A.  GOTTFRIED, LENTOL, RIVERA -- read  once  and  referred  to  the
          Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

        AN  ACT  to  establish  senior citizen alcoholism treatment and training
          demonstration programs

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1. Legislative intent. The latest New York State census iden-
     2  tifies twelve and three-tenths percent of the state's residents  as  age
     3  sixty-five  or  older.  The  New  York  state  office  of alcoholism and
     4  substance abuse services has identified chemical  abuse  and  dependence
     5  among  the  elder  population as a serious and growing problem. This can
     6  result from isolation,  depression  or  the  interaction  of  prescribed
     7  drugs.  Too  many professionals: doctors, nurses, pharmacists and social
     8  workers are unfamiliar with the science of gerontology and  the  special
     9  physiological  and psychological needs of the elderly. In addition, many
    10  community-based programs and facilities, nursing homes and senior  citi-
    11  zen centers are not aware of the incidence of chemical abuse and depend-
    12  ence  among the elderly and do not have the expertise to recognize their
    13  clients' problems, resulting in a barrier to prevention,  detection  and
    14  treatment.
    15    It is, therefore, the intention of the legislature to eliminate barri-
    16  ers to effective chemical abuse and dependence services through this act
    17  by  establishing  chemical  abuse  prevention,  education  and treatment
    18  demonstration programs for senior citizens in the office  of  alcoholism
    19  and substance abuse services.
    20    §  2.  The  commissioner of alcoholism and substance abuse services in
    21  consultation with the director of the office for the aging shall develop
    22  comprehensive chemical abuse prevention, education and treatment  demon-
    23  stration programs to address the unique needs of the elderly.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD13681-01-9
        A. 8576                             2

     1    §  3.  Subject  to  appropriation,  funds for support of demonstration
     2  projects for the purposes stated in section two of  this  act  shall  be
     3  allocated  to  eligible  local  governments and not-for-profit providers
     4  through a request for proposal process to be designed by the  office  of
     5  alcoholism  and substance abuse services in consultation with the office
     6  for the aging.
     7    § 4. In reviewing applications for funding, the commissioner of  alco-
     8  holism  and  substance  abuse  services  shall  consider such factors as
     9  program cost-effectiveness; the  ability  of  such  proposals  to  offer
    10  programmatically appropriate, long-term, stable services; and the abili-
    11  ty of such proposals to enable elderly persons to receive chemical abuse
    12  and dependence services; and geographic need. While incidence and preva-
    13  lence  shall be significant factors in the distribution of funds, demon-
    14  stration projects approved pursuant to this act shall be established  in
    15  regions across the state.
    16    § 5. No expenditure shall be made until the commissioner of alcoholism
    17  and  substance abuse services has approved a program and fiscal plan for
    18  chemical abuse and dependence prevention, education and treatment demon-
    19  stration projects. Such plan shall include, but not be limited  to,  the
    20  following:
    21    i.  Specific  criteria  to  be  applied in evaluating the requests for
    22  proposal;
    23    ii. Uniform program and cost standards;
    24    iii. Criteria to be used to evaluate the outcome of the  demonstration
    25  projects,  including  specific  requirements  to  be met by providers of
    26  service.
    27    § 6. This act shall take effect on the first of April next  succeeding
    28  the date on which it shall have become a law.