NYC Gazette

On June 6, 2024, Speaker Carl Heastie and Committee on Aging Chair Ron Kim announced that the Assembly has passed legislation aimed at enhancing oversight of social adult day care programs for older adults. The bill (A10142), sponsored by Kim, grants the director of the State Office for the Aging (SOFA) increased oversight capabilities.

“It is our duty as lawmakers to protect our most vulnerable community members,” said Speaker Heastie. “This bill will provide families the peace of mind that their relative is attending a program in a healthy and safe environment while discouraging fraudulent activity.”

Assemblymember Kim emphasized the collaborative effort behind the bill's passage. “This bill's passage was a collective effort from industry leaders, our partners in Albany who took this issue head-on, and older adults,” he stated. “The oversight framework provided in the legislation will stabilize the market and root out bad operators who are exploiting the Medicaid reimbursement system for their own benefit. I will continue to work with my Senate partners to make sure we make the case that this bill should be turned into law. I want to thank everyone in the community for their input and Speaker Heastie for helping us move this through the Assembly chamber.”

The legislation mandates that social adult day care programs undergo inspection by SOFA at least once every five years. Programs failing these inspections must address deficiencies within 90 days or risk losing public funding and being prohibited from identifying or marketing themselves as social adult day care programs.