Albany, NY – Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon (D-119) is proud to announce the New York State Assembly has voted unanimously to advance Bill A.5213-A, legislation introduced by the Assemblywoman which will establish a Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Behavioral Condition Community Stakeholder Committee to examine and establish evidence-based best screening, intervention, and educational support methods and practices for elementary students in kindergarten through grade five with developmental, mental, and behavioral health conditions.

Here in New York, there is a growing and unmet need for enhanced mental health, behavioral, and developmental disability services for elementary students across the State. Medical experts, educators, and parents agree that our children are in crisis, yet our communities lack consistent, evidence-based tools to effectively assess and respond to the needs of all students. This bill creates a formal stakeholder committee, led by the Commissioner of Mental Health in consultation with the Commissioners of the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, the Office of Children and Family Services, and the Department of Education, as well as community stakeholders to examine and develop concrete recommendations for the establishment of best practices statewide.

“When we fail to identify and support a child with a developmental, mental health, or behavioral condition early-on, we don’t just fail that child, we set them back for years," said Assemblywoman Buttenschon. “This committee will bring together the clinicians, educators, parents, and individuals with lived experience who know this issue best, and task them with giving New York the evidence-based screening and intervention tools our schools so urgently need. These children and their families are counting on us to get this right, and this legislation is our commitment to do exactly that.”

Key provisions of the new law include:

• Directing the Commissioner of Mental Health, in consultation with the commissioners of the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, the Office of Children and Family Services, and the Department of Education, to establish a community stakeholder committee to examine appropriate and effective evidence-based screening methods and interventions for children in kindergarten through grade five identified with a developmental disability, mental health condition, or behavioral condition.
• Requires the committee to include at least ten members, co-chaired by the four relevant commissioners, and members appointed by the legislature including specialists in diagnosing developmental and behavioral conditions, educators with relevant expertise, parents of affected students, and individuals with lived experience of a developmental disability, mental health, or behavioral condition.
• Requires the committee to hold at least two public hearings to gather input from a broad range of stakeholders, including licensed social workers, mental health practitioners, behavior analysts, teachers, school administrators, and parents.
• Directs the committee to prepare and submit a report of findings and recommendations to the Governor, the Temporary President of the Senate, the Speaker of the Assembly, and the minority leaders of both chambers within eighteen months of the law's effective date.

Under current law, no statewide body exists to systematically coordinate, examine, and recommend evidence-based standards for screening and supporting elementary school students with developmental, mental health, or behavioral conditions. This legislation addresses this critical gap by establishing a structured, multi-agency process to develop actionable recommendations grounded in expert input and community experience.

“No child should fall through the cracks because we lacked the tools or the coordination to help them early on,” Assemblywoman Buttenschon added. “This committee will help New York build a smarter, more comprehensive, and more compassionate system for our children and their families”

The legislation received unanimous support in the Assembly, and now awaits a vote in the Senate before advancing to the Governor’s office for enactment.