2023 New York Laws › EXC - Executive › Article 2 - Governor › 4-B - Chief Disability Officer.

§ 4-b. Chief disability officer. 1. Persons with disabilities comprise
a  major  segment  of  the  state  of  New  York's  population and their
particular needs and concerns must be considered as an integral part  of
the  planning  and  implementation  of  all  state programs and services
affecting their lives and well-being. The office of the chief disability
officer shall advocate on behalf of persons with disabilities and ensure
that persons with disabilities are afforded the opportunity to  exercise
all  of  the  rights  and  responsibilities accorded to citizens of this
state.
2. For purposes of this article:
(a) "Persons with disabilities"  shall  mean  any  person  who  has  a
disability  as  defined in subdivision twenty-one of section two hundred
ninety-two of this chapter.
(b)  "State  agency"  or  "state  agencies"  shall  mean   any   state
department,  board,  bureau,  division,  commission,  committee,  public
authority, public corporation, council,  office  or  other  governmental
entity  performing a governmental or proprietary function for the state,
except the judiciary or the state legislature.
3. (a) The governor shall appoint  a  chief  disability  officer.  The
chief  disability  officer  shall  advise  and  assist state agencies in
developing policies designed to help meet  the  needs  of  persons  with
disabilities.    The  chief disability officer shall be appointed by the
governor and receive a salary to be fixed by  the  governor  within  the
amounts appropriated therefor.
(b) The chief disability officer shall: (i) be the state's coordinator
for  the  implementation  of  the  Americans with Disabilities Act; (ii)
coordinate state  activities  to  ensure  that  state  programs  do  not
discriminate  against  and  are accessible to persons with disabilities;
(iii) ensure that such programs provide  services  to  individuals  with
disabilities  in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs;
and (iv) work with state agencies to develop legislation  and  potential
regulatory  changes  to  help effectuate the duties and responsibilities
required in this article, and any other changes that  may  significantly
affect the lives of persons with disabilities in the state.
(c)  The  chief  disability  officer shall, to the extent practicable,
review  and  report  to  the  governor  upon  proposed  legislation  and
regulations.  The  chief disability officer shall submit comments, where
appropriate,  to  the  state  agency  which   referred   such   proposed
legislation  and  regulations evaluating: (i) the impact of the proposed
legislation or regulation  upon  persons  with  disabilities;  (ii)  the
relationship  and  impact  of such proposed legislation or regulation on
existing programs affecting persons with  disabilities;  and  (iii)  any
modifications  that  would  help persons with disabilities or aid in the
implementation of the new proposal. All state agencies  shall  cooperate
with  the  chief  disability officer to ensure that the chief disability
officer is able to fulfill the requirements under this section.