S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
4020
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
January 28, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WRIGHT -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Judiciary
AN ACT to amend the family court act, in relation to orders of
protection in family offense proceedings; counseling for children
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 842 of the family court act, as amended by chapter
526 of the laws of 2013, and the closing paragraph as added by chapter
480 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
S 842. Order of protection. An order of protection under section
eight hundred forty-one of this part shall set forth reasonable condi-
tions of behavior to be observed for a period not in excess of two years
by the petitioner or respondent or for a period not in excess of five
years upon (i) a finding by the court on the record of the existence of
aggravating circumstances as defined in paragraph (vii) of subdivision
(a) of section eight hundred twenty-seven of this article; or (ii) a
finding by the court on the record that the conduct alleged in the peti-
tion is in violation of a valid order of protection. Any finding of
aggravating circumstances pursuant to this section shall be stated on
the record and upon the order of protection. The court may also, upon
motion, extend the order of protection for a reasonable period of time
upon a showing of good cause or consent of the parties. The fact that
abuse has not occurred during the pendency of an order shall not, in
itself, constitute sufficient ground for denying or failing to extend
the order. The court must articulate a basis for its decision on the
record. The duration of any temporary order shall not by itself be a
factor in determining the length or issuance of any final order. Any
order of protection issued pursuant to this section shall specify if an
order of probation is in effect. Any order of protection issued pursuant
to this section may require the petitioner or the respondent:
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04906-01-5
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(a) to stay away from the home, school, business or place of employ-
ment of any other party, the other spouse, the other parent, or the
child, and to stay away from any other specific location designated by
the court, provided that the court shall make a determination, and shall
state such determination in a written decision or on the record, whether
to impose a condition pursuant to this subdivision, provided further,
however, that failure to make such a determination shall not affect the
validity of such order of protection. In making such determination, the
court shall consider, but shall not be limited to consideration of,
whether the order of protection is likely to achieve its purpose in the
absence of such a condition, conduct subject to prior orders of
protection, prior incidents of abuse, extent of past or present injury,
threats, drug or alcohol abuse, and access to weapons;
(b) to permit a parent, or a person entitled to visitation by a court
order or a separation agreement, to visit the child at stated periods;
(c) to refrain from committing a family offense, as defined in subdi-
vision one of section eight hundred twelve of this [act] ARTICLE, or any
criminal offense against the child or against the other parent or
against any person to whom custody of the child is awarded, or from
harassing, intimidating or threatening such persons;
(d) to permit a designated party to enter the residence during a spec-
ified period of time in order to remove personal belongings not in issue
in this proceeding or in any other proceeding or action under this act
or the domestic relations law;
(e) to refrain from acts of commission or omission that create an
unreasonable risk to the health, safety or welfare of a child;
(f) to pay the reasonable counsel fees and disbursements involved in
obtaining or enforcing the order of the person who is protected by such
order if such order is issued or enforced;
(g) to require the respondent to participate in a batterer's education
program designed to help end violent behavior, which may include refer-
ral to drug and alcohol counselling, and to pay the costs thereof if the
person has the means to do so, provided however that nothing contained
herein shall be deemed to require payment of the costs of any such
program by the petitioner, the state or any political subdivision there-
of;
(h) to provide, either directly or by means of medical and health
insurance, for expenses incurred for medical care and treatment arising
from the incident or incidents forming the basis for the issuance of the
order;
(i) to refrain from intentionally injuring or killing, without justi-
fication, any companion animal the respondent knows to be owned,
possessed, leased, kept or held by the petitioner or a minor child
residing in the household. "Companion animal", as used in this section,
shall have the same meaning as in subdivision five of section three
hundred fifty of the agriculture and markets law;
(j) to promptly return specified identification documents to the
protected party, in whose favor the order of protection or temporary
order of protection is issued; provided, however, that such order may:
(A) include any appropriate provision designed to ensure that any such
document is available for use as evidence in this proceeding, and avail-
able if necessary for legitimate use by the party against whom such
order is issued; and (B) specify the manner in which such return shall
be accomplished. For purposes of this subdivision, "identification docu-
ment" shall mean any of the following: (i) exclusively in the name of
the protected party: birth certificate, passport, social security card,
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health insurance or other benefits card, a card or document used to
access bank, credit or other financial accounts or records, tax returns,
any driver's license, and immigration documents including but not limit-
ed to a United States permanent resident card and employment authori-
zation document; and (ii) upon motion and after notice and an opportu-
nity to be heard, any of the following, including those that may reflect
joint use or ownership, that the court determines are necessary and are
appropriately transferred to the protected party: any card or document
used to access bank, credit or other financial accounts or records, tax
returns, and any other identifying cards and documents; and
(k) to observe such other conditions as are necessary to further the
purposes of protection.
The court may also award custody of the child, during the term of the
order of protection to either parent, or to an appropriate relative
within the second degree. Nothing in this section gives the court power
to place or board out any child or to commit a child to an institution
or agency.
THE COURT SHALL ORDER COUNSELING FOR CHILDREN WHEN ONE MEMBER OF THE
FAMILY OR HOUSEHOLD HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH OR FOUND TO HAVE COMMITTED A
FAMILY OFFENSE AGAINST ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE FAMILY OR HOUSEHOLD, WHERE
THERE IS A DEMONSTRATED NEED FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTION, EVEN IF THE
CHILDREN WERE NOT THE DIRECT VICTIMS.
Notwithstanding the provisions of section eight hundred seventeen of
this article, where a temporary order of child support has not already
been issued, the court may in addition to the issuance of an order of
protection pursuant to this section, issue an order for temporary child
support in an amount sufficient to meet the needs of the child, without
a showing of immediate or emergency need. The court shall make an order
for temporary child support notwithstanding that information with
respect to income and assets of the respondent may be unavailable. Where
such information is available, the court may make an award for temporary
child support pursuant to the formula set forth in subdivision one of
section four hundred thirteen of this act. Temporary orders of support
issued pursuant to this article shall be deemed to have been issued
pursuant to section four hundred thirteen of this act.
Upon making an order for temporary child support pursuant to this
subdivision, the court shall advise the petitioner of the availability
of child support enforcement services by the support collection unit of
the local department of social services, to enforce the temporary order
and to assist in securing continued child support, and shall set the
support matter down for further proceedings in accordance with article
four of this act.
Where the court determines that the respondent has employer-provided
medical insurance, the court may further direct, as part of an order of
temporary support under this subdivision, that a medical support
execution be issued and served upon the respondent's employer as
provided for in section fifty-two hundred forty-one of the civil prac-
tice law and rules.
In any proceeding in which an order of protection or temporary order
of protection or a warrant has been issued under this section, the clerk
of the court shall issue to the petitioner and respondent and his coun-
sel and to any other person affected by the order a copy of the order of
protection or temporary order of protection and ensure that a copy of
the order of protection or temporary order of protection be transmitted
to the local correctional facility where the individual is or will be
detained, the state or local correctional facility where the individual
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is or will be imprisoned, and the supervising probation department or
the department of corrections and community supervision where the indi-
vidual is under probation or parole supervision.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, an order of protection, or
temporary order of protection where applicable, may be entered against a
former spouse and persons who have a child in common, regardless of
whether such persons have been married or have lived together at any
time, or against a member of the same family or household as defined in
subdivision one of section eight hundred twelve of this article.
In addition to the foregoing provisions, the court may issue an order,
pursuant to section two hundred twenty-seven-c of the real property law,
authorizing the party for whose benefit any order of protection has been
issued to terminate a lease or rental agreement pursuant to section two
hundred twenty-seven-c of the real property law.
The protected party in whose favor the order of protection or tempo-
rary order of protection is issued may not be held to violate an order
issued in his or her favor nor may such protected party be arrested for
violating such order.
S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.