June 9, 2004

New York Assembly Bill 11465: An act to amend the public health law and the finance law, in relation to assisted living

The legislature hereby finds  and  declares  that  congregate  residential  housing  with   supportive services  in  a home-like setting, commonly known as assisted living, is an integral part of the continuum of  long  term  care.    Further,  the philosophy  of  assisted  living  emphasizes personal dignity, autonomy, independence, privacy and freedom of choice. The intent of this article is to create a clear and flexible statutory structure for assisted living that provides  a  definition  of  assisted living  residence;  that  requires  registration  of the residence; that requires  a  written  residency   agreement   that   contains   consumer protections;  that  enunciates  and  protects  resident rights; and that  provides adequate and  accurate  information  for  consumers,  which  is essential  to  the continued development of a viable market for assisted living. Entities which hold themselves out as assisted living residences must  apply  for registration and be approved by the state to operate as assisted living residences pursuant to this  article,  and  must  comply with the requirements of this article.