"Hello, I want to share an update about a petition I signed on Change.org: "Steve Sweeney: Pass “Billy Cray’s Law”". Read about the update "She Was Physically, Emotionally And Sexually Abused" below, and join me in supporting this campaign by signing the petition! http://chng.it/M5fLLmjfXk Thanks! Thomas Komninos"

"Dear Mr. Komninos:

Thank you for your outreach concerning Senate bill 3301, which would require certain group homes to install electronic monitoring devices in common areas, upon request and with uniform resident consent, and to permit consensual use of such devices in private rooms.

I appreciate you voicing your support of this legislation and sharing your insights on the policy as informed by your personal experiences. As a father of an adult daughter with Down syndrome, I am very familiar with the worries that plague parents who must entrust others with the care of their loved ones, and I empathize with your concerns.

While this bill may be one way to quell some of the fears faced by parents, I believe it falls short of addressing the underlying issue of the State and society not appropriately recognizing the value of those caring for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). To lastingly improve care and reduce the number of incidences of abuse, those providing the care must be treated with a level of professionalism that is commensurate with the value they bring to society. I believe this is more effectively accomplished by focusing on the supports, training and compensation provided for the role and investing our resources accordingly – which is why I have been, and continue to be, a staunch supporter of increasing wages paid to Direct Support Professionals.

Enhanced oversight, like that provided for in this bill, is important; however, it alone will not solve these larger systemic issues and advancing this policy in a vacuum could lead to exacerbated workforce shortages.

I will certainly keep your comments in mind as the bill is further deliberated in the Legislature. Thank you again for your comments and support.

Sincerely, Steve Sweeney, Senate President"