Safeguards cash accounts for people with developmental disabilities in a facility

• Democratic5
• Republican4

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Christopher Ryan says this is needed

Under State law, residents who live in individualized residential alter- natives, such as community residences, and family care home settings are entitled to personal allowance accounts that such residents can use for personal expenses such as personal shopping, entertainment, vacation, and home and family visits. Additionally, staff members who assist resi- dents with their purchases must comply with the Personal Expenditure Plan. In October 2016, Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott released the results of an investigation of personal allowance accounts maintained by OPWDD on behalf of OPWDD residents. The Inspector General's office investigated ten instances .of mismanagement of cash accounts maintained by OPWDD and concluded that OPWDD's current policies regarding the management of personal allowance accounts fails to adequately safeguard residents' personal allowance accounts. Among other things, the report found that residents' personal allowance accounts were "pilfered" by OPWDD employees because of inadequate safeguards and oversight of the accounts by supervisors and OPWDD. The report recommended that OPWDD take action to address this serious mismanagement. Such actions include providing standardized training on the management and review of individuals' personal allowance accounts to staff in supervisory positions; developing a statewide approach to implement the use of debit cards for individuals' personal allowance accounts and a policy on their use; issuing a policy on the process for purchasing, recording and using gift cards for individuals in its care; reinforcing the requirement of an original receipt from the vendor documenting a transaction for out-of-residence mean purchases; reinforcing existing policy requiring purchases to be inventoried upon receipt in the home; and retraining staff on the requirement to conduct an inventory at the time of purchase and to follow proper procedures. Safeguarding the personal finances of individuals with disabilities is a crucial component of ensuring a high level of care for individuals who live in individualized residential alternatives. This bill would require the Commissioner of OPWDD to develop a uniform statewide policy for conducting audits for residents of facilities regulated by the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities for personal allowance and cash accounts.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.