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NY A04494
Bill
Status
2/4/2025
Primary Sponsor
Jeff Gallahan
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AI Summary
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Establishes the "Employment First Choice Act" allowing individuals with developmental disabilities currently in nonintegrated settings (such as sheltered workshops) to request accommodation from the Commissioner of Developmental Disabilities to remain in those settings
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Requires individuals seeking to remain in nonintegrated settings to complete at least one of the following every five years: a vocational assessment, a trial integrated work experience, outreach and education services, or benefits counseling consultation
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Protects individuals' eligibility for services under Social Services Law, ensuring benefits remain substantially similar to what they would receive if they chose an integrated setting
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Directs the commissioner to take necessary actions to comply with federal law and obtain federal funding to enable individual choice, effective May 1, 2029
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Codifies that procedural requirements for obtaining accommodation shall not supersede or bar an individual's choice to remain in a nonintegrated setting, aligning with the Supreme Court's Olmstead decision
Legislative Description
Enacts the "employment first choice act" to ensure that an individual with developmental disabilities in a nonintegrated setting shall have the right to remain in such a setting under certain circumstances.
Last Action
referred to people with disabilities
1/7/2026