N.Y. MHY Law § 41.04

§ 41.04 Responsibilities of commissioners of the offices.\n (a) In order to prevent unnecessary fragmentation in the planning and\nfinancing of the care, treatment and rehabilitation of the mentally\ndisabled, the commissioners of the offices in the department shall\nconsult and cooperate with one another and shall meet from time to time\nwith the New York state conference of local mental hygiene directors, to\nensure that the procedural policies, forms, time frames for submission\nand approval of plans and rules and regulations governing the procedures\nfor planning and financing of the care, treatment and rehabilitation of\nthe mentally disabled adopted by each of the offices in the department\nare consistent with one another.\n (b) Guidelines for the operation of local services plans and financing\nshall be adopted only by rule or regulation. Such rules and regulations\nshall be submitted at least twenty-one days prior to the effective date\nthereof to the New York state conference of local mental hygiene\ndirectors for comment thereon; provided, however, if a commissioner\nfinds that the public health, welfare or safety requires the prompt\nadoption of rules and regulations, he may dispense with such submission\nprior to the effective date thereof but, in such case, such commissioner\nshall submit such rules and regulations to the conference as soon as\npossible for their review within sixty days after the effective date\nthereof.\n