BILL NUMBER: S5141
SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the mental hygiene law and the education law, in
relation to establishing a direct service professional credit and career
ladder tuition assistance grant program
 
PURPOSE:
This legislation would help to address the continuing difficulty the
state and providers of supports and services for people with develop-
mental disabilities have had recruiting and retaining direct support
professionals and creating a career ladder for these employees. This
difficulty is particularly true for young people who are hard pressed to
pursue their careers and their education while employed in these crit-
ically important services.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends Section 13.23 of the Mental Hygiene Law in order to
authorize the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities
("OPWDD") commissioner to establish a Direct Service Professional Credit
and Career Ladder tuition assistance grant program.
Section 2 adds a new Section 6303-B to the Education Law, to allow the
state university and the city university boards of trustees to permit
community colleges to create a Direct Service Professional Credit
Program and a Career Ladder program and to establish a local tuition
grants program for DSPs and DSP supervisors seeking a career ladder at
these institutions. The grant can be for up to fifty percent of tuition
required at the community colleges and is paid by OPWDD. This legis-
lation also provides that the OPWDD provider who employs the individual
enrolled in either the Direct Service Professional Credit Program or the
Career Ladder Program would reimburse the community college remainder of
the actual tuition grant after offsetting the OPWDD grant for each
eligible employee.
Section 3 establishes the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
During the last several years it has become increasingly difficult for
OPWDD and local not for profit providers who contract with OPWDD to
recruit and retain new DSPs and related middle management personnel.
The demands on people to meet various responsibilities in their family
and personal lives continue to grow. Family life, career development,
and other demands limit people's ability to take these demanding jobs.
This is particularly true for DSPs, who need special training in light
of the life-threatening situations they are exposed to and confronted
with at any given time. This legislation attempts to provide some direct
help by focusing on education. This should help OPWDD and OPWDD provid-
ers to recruit people who want to attend college but are unable to while
working low paying DSP jobs. It will also permit the development of
career ladders as they expand their education and skill set.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-2024: S.4959 - 2023- Reported to Finance/ A4337 - Referred to High-
er Education
2021-2022: S.2620 - Passed the Senate/A.5260 - Referred to Higher Educa-
tion
2019-2020: S.6106 - Reported and Committed to Finance/A.8388 - Referred
to Higher Education
 
STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to academic
semesters, quarters and classroom hours beginning on or after January 1,
2027.

Statutes affected:
S5141: 13.23 mental hygiene law