TREND FACTOR LEGISLATION
Senate Bill 4901 (sponsor Huntley) ; Assembly Bill 7947(sponsor Weisenberg)
Legislation has been proposed in New York State that would provide a 3% trend for most services for people with developmental disabilities. This trend is critical to enable providers to recruit and retain qualified staff to care for people with developmental disabilities.
Our field desperately needs this funding, especially with the new MTA payroll tax, which cost OMRDD’s nonprofit agencies $4.5 million!
Governor Patterson gave $60 million to schools to offset this tax, and gave hospitals and nursing homes $265 million for staff recruitment and retention. The people served by OMRDD funded agencies deserve equal treatment!
We are urging workers in the industry as well as friends and family members of consumers served by these agencies to call and e-mail their elected officials to tell them to support this legislation that will provide the funding that is needed to maintain quality services for New York citizens with developmental disabilities.
CALL YOUR ELECTED LEADERS AND TELL THEM TO SUPPORT THIS CRITICAL LEGISLATION:
TREND FACTOR LEGISLATION TALKING POINTS:
• I am a friend (family member) of a person with developmental disabilities and I urge you to support the legislation that will provide a desperately needed 3% trend for services for people with developmental disabilities.
• The trend is essential for OMRDD’s agencies to recruit and retain qualified staff to ensure the health, safety, and lives of our very vulnerable population.
• Don’t ignore available federal trend funding and leave it ‘on the table’. That would be a terrible tragedy for the critical staff that provides care for our vulnerable friends and family.
• Tell Speaker Sheldon Silver to move trend legislation Assembly Bill 7947 out of Committee for a vote on the Assembly floor
• Tell Majority Leader Smith to move trend legislation Senate Bill 4901 out of Committee for a vote on the Senate floor.
Please call or e-mail ALL the following:
1. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver: 518-455-3791 or 212-312-1420; Assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=64
2. Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith: 518-455-2701 or 718-528-4290; Masmith@senate.state.ny.us
3. Governor Paterson: 518-474-8390; www.state.ny.us/governor/contact/index.html
4. To find your own State Assemblyperson call 518-455-4100 or go to http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/
5. To find your own State Senator call 518-455-2800 or go to http://www.nysenate.gov/senators
* NOTE THIS IS A JOINT EFFORT BY STATEWIDE AND REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
