Michael Carey has made significant progress in his marathon effort to provide equal police protection and access to life-saving emergency medical services for residents of state facilities under the jurisdiction of the Office of People with Developmental disabilities and the Office of Mental Health.  His current bill, S5406/A823, has a significant number of co-sponsors in both houses and is positioned to get passed if the leadership of the legislature is willing to pass it. 

Please take action today to help pass this bill. This bill would finally provide access to 911 emergency ambulance services and law enforcement for residents of state facilities for people with developmental disabilities and mental health issues. Many people with autism in New York will eventually end up under the care of the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) so this is a critical issue for people with autism and their families.

Tragically, there is no law in New York that requires caregivers and staff in state and private group homes and mental health facilities to immediately call 911 in response to medical emergencies, physical and sexual assault crimes, or deaths. Paramedics and police for decades have not been able to respond to save lives or ensure the protection of our most vulnerable New Yorkers.

Calls for emergency medical care are first routed through a statewide triage center which wastes precious response time. Delays in receiving emergency care have been identified by Disability NY as a leading cause of death for residents of facilities. 

All investigations of crimes committed against residents completely bypass 911, police, and district attorneys and are funneled to the “Justice Center.” The Justice Center has a well-documented history of covering up crimes to protect the institutions, not the residents. Multiple courts have found that the Justice Center is unconstitutional, and does not have the authority to prosecute crimes, yet Governor Andrew Cuomo, Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James have done nothing to comply. 

Disability rights advocate Michael Carey has led the fight on this issue for years since his son Jonathan, who had autism, was murdered by his caretaker at the O. D. Heck Center. 

In the final weeks of the legislative session, let’s put pressure on the leadership in Albany to stop this deadly discrimination and pass S5406/A823.

 

Take Action 

Please use the panel to the right to send a message to your State Senator and Assemblymember asking them to pass S5406 and A823.

Please call your State Senator and Assemblymember and ask them to pass S5406 and A823. Their contact information should appear below:

 

You can look up their contact information at the links below: 

https://nyassembly.gov/mem/search/

https://www.nysenate.gov/find-my-senator

 

Share the following link to this Action Alert:

 

 

Please call these leaders in Albany and ask them to pass S5406/A823

  

Carl Heastie, Speaker of the Assembly

LOB 932, Albany, NY 12248

Albany: (518) 455-3791, District: (718) 654-6539

speaker@nyassembly.gov

Twitter/X: @carlheastie

https://www.facebook.com/carl.heastie

  

Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Senate Majority Leader

LOB 907, Albany, NY 12248

Albany: (518) 455-2585, District: (914) 423-4031

https://www.facebook.com/andrea.stewartcousins

Twitter: @AndreaSCousins