S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         4256
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                    March 11, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by Sen. CARLUCCI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
       AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to  vocational  rehabili-
         tation services for enhancing communication support
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 1004-c
    2  to read as follows:
    3    S 1004-C. COMMUNICATION SUPPORT SERVICES. 1. THE COMMISSIONER IS HERE-
    4  BY DIRECTED TO PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS TO INCLUDE COMMUNICATION
    5  SUPPORT SERVICES AS A VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION SERVICE  AS  DEFINED  BY
    6  PARAGRAPH  A  OF  SUBDIVISION  FIVE  OF SECTION ONE THOUSAND TWO OF THIS
    7  ARTICLE. ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO SHALL HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH  A  PRAGMATIC
    8  LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENT OR WHOSE EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS MAY REASONABLY BENEFIT
    9  FROM AN IMPROVED CAPACITY TO COMMUNICATE SHALL QUALIFY FOR COMMUNICATION
   10  SUPPORT  SERVICES. ALL REFERRALS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULES AND REGU-
   11  LATIONS PROMULGATED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL BE MADE  TO  LICENSED
   12  SPEECH-LANGUAGE   PATHOLOGISTS-AUDIOLOGISTS   OR  INDIVIDUALS  OTHERWISE
   13  TRAINED IN TREATMENT FOR PRAGMATIC LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENT.
   14    2. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "COMMUNICATION SUPPORT  SERVICES"
   15  SHALL  MEAN  TREATMENT  OR  SERVICES THAT FOCUS ON COMMUNICATION-RELATED
   16  SKILLS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DIALOGUE STRATEGIES FOR:
   17    (I) INITIATING AND EXITING COMMUNICATION OF INTENT;
   18    (II) TOPIC MAINTENANCE;
   19    (III) DISSOLVING  HOSTILE  SITUATIONS  THAT  RESULT  FROM  INEFFECTIVE
   20  ATTEMPTS AT INDEPENDENT COMMUNICATION;
   21    (IV)  PREPARING,  STRATEGIZING, AND ORGANIZING INFORMATION FOR WRITTEN
   22  OR ELECTRONIC CORRESPONDENCE; AND
   23    (V) PREPARING FOR UPCOMING INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION SITUATIONS.
   24    S 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2016.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD05632-01-5