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NY: 8 Re-entry Bills in State Budget Signed Into Law

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:00:00 -0500

Legal Action Center is thrilled to report that two of our re-entry bills and a number of other bills that we and other advocates fought for have now been signed into law!

NY: Action Alert! Urge Governor to Sign Human Rights Bill

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 20:51:00 -0500

NY: Action Alert! Urge Governor to Sign Human Rights Bill

Good News! A very important Human Rights bill that will help thousands of New Yorkers with criminal histories fight illegal discrimination has passed the Legislature.

But there is still another critical step: Governor Paterson must approve and sign the bill into law!

WE NEED YOUR HELP TODAY: PLEASE CONTACT HIM AND TELL HIM TO SIGN S4687/A8012 INTO LAW WHEN IT REACHES HIS DESK.

Health Care Reform Implementation for Substance Use Disorder & Mental Health Services

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 20:58:00 -0500

Since its passage in March, many people and organizations have been trying to better understand how the new healthcare provisions will affect them, and when those changes will be implemented.

Using the larger insurance provisions timeline from The Commonwealth Fund, LAC has developed a timeline for measures being implemented in 2010 that directly affect individuals and organizations dealing with SUD/MH issues.

Summary of the Certificate Equivalency Bill Signed Into Law on June 22, 2010

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:18:00 -0500

The Certificate Equivalency Bill, which was included in the 2010-2011 budget and signed into law by Governor Paterson on June 22, 2010, makes changes to many different sections of the law to ensure that either Certificates of Relief from Disabilities (CRDs) or Certificates of Good Conduct (CGCs) are accepted for the purpose of overcoming barriers to obtaining employment and occupational licenses.

NY: Action Alert! Urge Albany to Use Federal Funds to Maintain ATI and Re-Entry Programs

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:04:00 -0500

The National Impact: Week of May 4, 2010

Fri, 07 May 2010 16:01:00 -0500

The National Impact newsletter provides the latest updates from the Legal Action Center and State Associations of Addiction Services' joint National Advocacy Campaign for Smarter and More Effective Alcohol and Drug Policies (NAC). To learn more about the campaign, its goals, accomplishments, and how you can get involved, please visit the NAC website.

This week in the National Impact:

NY: Urgent Action Alert! Urge Legislature to Use Federal Funds to Restore Cuts to ATI and Re-Entry

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:46:00 -0500

Although ATI programs have been critical to reducing the prison population and crime and are essential to the success of Rockefeller drug law reform, they face potentially massive funding cuts because of the state’s fiscal struggles.

Now is the time to create enormous pressure on both houses to use federal funds to restore Alternatives to Incarceration and Re-entry related funding.

Update: Details on Healthcare Law’s Landmark Expansion of Addiction/Mental Illness Coverage

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 20:37:00 -0500

On March 24th, President Obama signed into law H.R. 3590, the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.” The new law, approved by the U.S. Senate on December 24, 2009 and the U.S. House of Representatives on March 21, 2010, is expected to expand healthcare coverage to tens of millions of Americans that are currently uninsured, resulting in 95 percent of the legal population being covered.

The new federal healthcare law includes a number of provisions aimed at improving coverage for and access to substance use disorder and mental illness prevention, treatment, and recovery services, a result of strong bi-partisan support in Congress and by the Obama Administration in addition to a unified and coordinated effort by advocates for people in need of substance use disorder and mental illness prevention, treatment and recovery support services.

The following is an overview of key components of the final legislation, including critically important addiction and mental health provisions included in the new law. The below also highlights provisions in the reconciliation bill, which was signed into law on March 31st and that amends certain provisions of the new law unrelated to the addiction- and mental health-specific provisions listed.

How Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs Can Comply With the 2010 Census

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:44:00 -0600

Many drug and alcohol residential programs and half-way houses have been asking how they can cooperate with census takers, as they make their rounds in 2010, without violating the federal confidentiality law and regulations. The Legal Action Center called the Census Bureau to determine exactly what information census takers will be seeking and how they plan to approach residential treatment programs. We believe we have found a way for programs to cooperate fully with census takers without jeopardizing the confidentiality of their patients' identities.

LAC Testifies at NY State Legislature Joint Budget Hearing on Public Protection

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:45:00 -0600

On Monday, February 8, 2010, New York State Senate Finance Committee Chair Carl Kruger, and Assembly Ways and Means Committee Chair Herman "Denny" Farrell conducted the joint budget hearing focused on funding for public protection and keeping communities safe. A panel of criminal justice agencies, led by Deputy Secretary Denise O'Donnell from NYS Division of Criminal Justice Service and including Parole and Corrections testified on public protection budget issues.

Legal Action Center Director of New York State Policy Tracie M. Gardner testified at the hearing on behalf of of the ATI and Reentry Coalition. To read her testimony, or to download the pdf, please "Read More.