I’m very disappointed to see my group home state task force bill (A9162) was vetoed tonight – it passed both houses with overwhelming support. I introduced this important legislation to help address issues raised during the pandemic, improve living conditions and communication with residents and their families.

Residents of group homes, who often have disabilities, deserve the right to weigh in on how they are being treated. However, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted a stark failure in communication between residents and the institutions tasked with supporting them. My bill can establish a more open forum for feedback that can help target the issues most important to group home residents and their families.

This task force would play a vital role in providing important recommendations to the New York State Commissioner of the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) on how we can improve the quality and staffing of our state’s group homes to better serve the residents and their families.