41.04 - Responsibilities of commissioners of the offices.

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