Section 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 and unified  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.