2025 March 26
N.Y. State
Looks like the New York State Legislature had a session yesterday, March 25th, focused on People with Disabilities. Here's a quick rundown of the bills discussed:
Task Force for Employment: A bill (A00033) was on the agenda to create a task force aimed at boosting employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
OPWDD Staffing Plans: Another bill (A00226) proposed amending the mental hygiene law to require the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) to develop staffing plans to handle workforce emergencies and shortages.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: There was a bill (A00999) looking to update the definition of developmental disability in the mental hygiene law to include fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
Spina Bifida: You sponsored a bill (A03572) to also amend the mental hygiene law and add spina bifida to the definition of developmental disability.
Blue-Ribbon Commission: Finally, a bill (A06021), also sponsored by you, aimed to establish a "blue-ribbon commission" to examine and make recommendations about the future of New York State's service delivery system for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This commission would eventually be repealed after its work is done.
