Monroe NY News

Assemblyman Josh Jensen, the ranking Minority member of the Assembly Health Committee, alongside other Minority members, has urged Governor Kathy Hochul to reinstate state comptroller oversight for the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) bid process. This oversight was removed in this year’s enacted state budget amid additional reforms to CDPAP programs, which faced opposition from stakeholders and legislators across New York.

In a letter addressed to Governor Hochul, Assemblyman Jensen and his colleagues expressed concerns about the transparency and oversight of the "request for proposal" process for the new CDPAP statewide fiscal intermediary. They highlighted issues with proposals being evaluated based on "best value," which they argue obscures the fiscal implications of such contracts.

“It was clear that the plans to ‘reform’ CDPAP were not fully thought out during this year’s budget process. By reinstating comptroller oversight of the bid process, New York state government can show it wants to act more responsibly while we hopefully work towards a legislative solution to protect the state residents who rely on this critically important program,” said Assemblyman Josh Jensen.

He further emphasized, “Making CDPAP operate more efficiently and effectively will benefit all those involved in the program, and while the governor has not ruled out changing or delaying the ‘reforms,’ we should take the time to pause and work in a bipartisan manner, with stakeholder involvement, to find a way to ensure CDPAP continues to meet the needs of New Yorkers.”