NY State Senate Bill 2017-S3725

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Children And Families Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2018	referred to children and families
Jan 26, 2017	referred to children and families

co-Sponsors

2017-S3725 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A3617
Current Committee:: Senate Children And Families
Law Section:: Social Services Law
Laws Affected:: Add Art 6 Title 1-B §394, Soc Serv L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S5714, A6362
2011-2012: S370, A4337
2013-2014: S1371, A3169
2015-2016: S907, A3977, A9287
2019-2020: A1529
2021-2022: A3371
2023-2024: A3255
2025-2026: A1760

2017-S3725 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes the youth in progress advisory board and regional teams for adolescents in foster care to provide mentorship of youths in foster care; requires reporting.

2017-S3725 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S3725

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the social services law, in relation
to establishing the youth in progress advisory board and regional
teams for adolescents in foster care for the state

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

This bill establishes a statewide youth advisory board for adolescents
in foster care. The board shall be a vehicle for youth advocacy and
input on policies affecting youth in care.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

Section 1, amends article 6 of the social services law by adding a new
title 1-B. Titled Youth In Progress.

A new section 394, paragraph (1), establishes a statewide youth in
progress advisory board comprised of youth age 14 and older, recruited
by local social services departments, authorized agencies serving
adolescents in foster care and the office of children and family
services. These youth must be either currently or were formerly in the
foster care system and must be able to discuss issues, share common
experiences and advocate for the concerns of their peers;

Paragraph (2) and (3), requires the office of children and family

services to create a regional team structure for membership to the
statewide advisory board and create adult mentor partnerships for each
youth member. Outlines youth in progress advisory board membership
composition and meeting requirements;

Paragraph (4)(a)(b), requires the youth in progress advisory board to
create an annual report with recommendations; authorize the office of
children and family services to provide technical assistance to
distribute annual report but prohibit the agency from altering the
report. The commissioner of the office of children and family services
is required to submit to the youth in progress advisory board, at
least sixty days prior to final approval, all non-emergency rules and
regulations for review and recommendations.

§ 2, establishes an effective date of 60 days after becoming law.

 JUSTIFICATION :

Unlike California, Massachusetts and New Jersey, New York has no
formal mechanisms to solicit input from foster care youth about
policies affecting their care. For 16 years, foster care youth from
across New York State voiced their opinions and concerns at the Office
of Children and Families Services (OCFS) regional events know as
"speakouts."  Former OCFS commissioner John Johnson, visited many of
these speak outs and listened to stories from youth in attendance. He
too, recognized the need to strengthen and enhance the dialogue with
foster care youth.

In 2003, the Office of Children and Family Services actively sought to
create an opportunity for foster care youth to add their voices to
those of other youth in addressing the issues that impact their lives.
Their new initiative was to develop a statewide foster care youth
leadership advisory team called "Youth In progress" (YIP). This
leadership team was established through the development of a unique
partnership between OCFS and its other affiliates. Together, they
reached out to local districts and voluntary agencies seeking foster
care youth leaders, each with a adult mentor to complete the team.

Today, the YIP team is comprised of youth leaders from each of the six
OCFS mapped regions. They provide input on foster care policies and
services, in order to make targeted improvements in the quality of
care for foster youth.

Since its formation, Youth In progress has made many accomplishments
and contributions that include presentations at the local, regional,
state and national levels on the problems affecting youth in foster
care and identifying possible solutions. The group has hosted and
presented annual workshops at regional foster care youth speak outs.
YIP has also been actively providing training, as co-trainers and
panelists, for OCFS staff. More importantly, many of the youth who
participate on this leadership team, become a part of a valuable focus
group on foster care issues and serve as foster care experts in
various settings across New York State.

This bill builds upon these accomplishments by formally recognizing
the group within the law.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

First introduced in 2010;
2011-2012: S.370 - Died in Committee;
2013-2014: S.1371 - Referred to Children and Families Committee, Died
in Finance Committee.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS :

No additional cost to state or local governments.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect 60 days after it shall have become a law.

2017-S3725 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3725
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 26, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  MONTGOMERY,  COMRIE,  PERSAUD  --  read twice and
   ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on
   Children and Families
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to establishing the
   youth in progress advisory board and regional teams for adolescents in
   foster care for the state

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Article 6 of the social services law is amended by adding a
 new title 1-B to read as follows:
 
                                 TITLE 1-B
                             YOUTH IN PROGRESS
 
 SECTION 394. YOUTH IN PROGRESS.
   § 394. YOUTH IN PROGRESS.  1. THE YOUTH IN PROGRESS STATEWIDE ADVISORY
 BOARD IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED FOR THE PURPOSES OF BRINGING TOGETHER  YOUTH
 AGE  FOURTEEN  AND OLDER WHO ARE OR HAVE BEEN IN FOSTER CARE IN ORDER TO
 DISCUSS  COMMON  EXPERIENCES,  IDEAS  AND  CONCERNS.  THE  LOCAL  SOCIAL
 SERVICES  DEPARTMENTS, AUTHORIZED AGENCIES SERVING ADOLESCENTS IN FOSTER
 CARE, THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES, AND CONTRACTORS OF THE
 OFFICE MAY RECRUIT APPROPRIATE YOUTH TO  PARTICIPATE  IN  THE  YOUTH  IN
 PROGRESS ADVISORY BOARD AND REGIONAL TEAMS ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS.
   2.  THE  OFFICE  OF  CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES SHALL FACILITATE THE
 FORMATION OF REGIONAL YOUTH IN PROGRESS TEAMS AND ASSIST IN  IDENTIFYING
 AN  ADULT  MENTOR  FOR  EACH  YOUTH  TEAM  MEMBER. THE REGIONAL YOUTH IN
 PROGRESS TEAMS AND ADULT MENTORS SHALL MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS AND SHALL
 CONDUCT PERIODIC REGIONAL FORUMS FOR FOSTER CARE YOUTH TO SPEAK  OUT  ON
 ISSUES OF INTEREST TO ADOLESCENTS IN FOSTER CARE.
   3.  THE  YOUTH  IN  PROGRESS STATEWIDE ADVISORY BOARD, SHALL INCLUDE A
 REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE REGIONAL TEAMS THAT WILL ADVISE  THE  OFFICE  OF
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD07105-01-7

 S. 3725                             2
 
 CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES AND THE COUNCIL ON CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ON
 ISSUES  RELATING  TO  FOSTER CARE. IN EACH OF THE SIX OFFICE OF CHILDREN
 AND FAMILY SERVICES REGIONS THE YOUTH IN PROGRESS REGIONAL TEAM OR TEAMS
 SHALL  NOMINATE  UP  TO  FOUR  YOUTH  MEMBERS AND THEIR ADULT MENTORS TO
 PARTICIPATE IN THE STATEWIDE YOUTH IN PROGRESS ADVISORY BOARD. IN  ADDI-
 TION,  FOUR  YOUTH CURRENTLY OR FORMERLY PLACED WITH THE OFFICE OF CHIL-
 DREN AND FAMILY SERVICES' DIVISION OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND OPPORTUNITIES
 FOR YOUTH SHALL BE SELECTED BY THE MEMBERS OF  THE  STATEWIDE  YOUTH  IN
 PROGRESS  ADVISORY  BOARD, TO BE MEMBERS OF THE ADVISORY BOARD'S MEMBER-
 SHIP. THE STATEWIDE YOUTH IN PROGRESS ADVISORY BOARD SHALL  HAVE  UP  TO
 TWENTY-EIGHT YOUTH PARTICIPANTS AND SHALL MEET AT LEAST THREE TIMES EACH
 YEAR.
   4.  (A)  THE  STATEWIDE  YOUTH  IN  PROGRESS BOARD MAY ISSUE AN ANNUAL
 REPORT WITH ITS RECOMMENDATIONS ON ISSUES OF INTEREST TO ADOLESCENTS  IN
 FOSTER  CARE. THE REPORT MAY INCLUDE OTHER INFORMATION ON THE ACTIVITIES
 OF THE YOUTH IN PROGRESS  BOARD.  THE  OFFICE  OF  CHILDREN  AND  FAMILY
 SERVICES  SHALL  PROVIDE  TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO THE STATEWIDE YOUTH IN
 PROGRESS BOARD,  INCLUDING  DISTRIBUTION  OF  THE  ANNUAL  REPORT.  SUCH
 REPORTS SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO:
 THE  GOVERNOR,  THE LEGISLATURE, THE DIRECTOR OF THE COUNCIL ON CHILDREN
 AND FAMILIES, AND THE MEMBER AGENCIES OF THE  COUNCIL  ON  CHILDREN  AND
 FAMILIES.  THE  CONTENTS OF THE YOUTH IN PROGRESS ANNUAL REPORT SHALL BE
 SOLELY THE WORK PRODUCT OF THE YOUTH IN PROGRESS BOARD AND ITS  MEMBERS,
 AND  SHALL NOT BE REVISED OR EDITED BY THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY
 SERVICES.
   (B) AT LEAST SIXTY DAYS PRIOR TO THE COMMISSIONER  OF  THE  OFFICE  OF
 CHILDREN  AND  FAMILY  SERVICES  FINAL APPROVAL OF RULES AND REGULATIONS
 PERTAINING TO FOSTER CARE OR SERVICES FOR ADOLESCENTS WHO  ARE  OR  HAVE
 BEEN  IN  FOSTER  CARE,  OTHER THAN EMERGENCY RULES AND REGULATIONS, THE
 COMMISSIONER SHALL SUBMIT THE PROPOSED  RULES  AND  REGULATIONS  TO  THE
 STATEWIDE  YOUTH  IN  PROGRESS  ADVISORY BOARD FOR REVIEW. THE STATEWIDE
 YOUTH IN PROGRESS BOARD MAY REPORT ITS RECOMMENDATIONS  THEREON  TO  THE
 COMMISSIONER  OF THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES WITHIN SIXTY
 DAYS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth  day  after  it  shall
 have become a law.

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Senate Bill S3725

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Children And Families Committee

co-Sponsors

2017-S3725 (ACTIVE) - Details

2017-S3725 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2017-S3725 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2017-S3725 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S3725

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Sponsored By

Velmanette Montgomery

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Children And Families Committee

co-Sponsors

Leroy Comrie

Roxanne J. Persaud

2017-S3725 (ACTIVE) - Details

2017-S3725 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2017-S3725 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2017-S3725 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments