NY State Senate Bill 2019-S5827

Senate Bill S5827

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Authorizes and directs the office of children and family services to conduct a study on the family assessment response program

download bill text pdf

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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Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 08, 2020	referred to children and families
May 15, 2019	referred to children and families

2019-S5827 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A7855
Current Committee:: Senate Children And Families
Law Section:: Children
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S107, A5242
2023-2024: S7819, A8341

2019-S5827 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Authorizes and directs the office of children and family services to conduct a study on the family assessment response program and provides for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof.

2019-S5827 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S5827

SPONSOR: PERSAUD
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act authorizing and directing the office of chil-
dren and family services to conduct a study on the family assessment
response program and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon
expiration thereof

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill seeks to study the family assessment response program ,in
order to determine if it is working as designed, and if the program can
be improved.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section one of the bill directs the office of children and family
services, in conjunction with the inspector general, to conduct a study
on the family assessment response program.

Section two of the bill directs the office in conjunction with the

inspector general, finds of the study, and directing delivery temporary
president of the senate, and the than one year after the effective
date.of children and family services, to publish a report containing the
of the report to the governor, speaker of the assembly no later

Section three of the bill provides the effective date, and repeal date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Family Assessment Response (FAR) is New York State's alternative Child
Protective response to some reports of child maltreatment. New York
State enacted FAR enabling legislation in 2007, and made it permanent in
2011. FAR does not require an investigation and determination of allega-
tions and individual culpability for families reported to the SCR. The
vast majority of reports received by CPS are for some form of maltreat-
ment, not abuse. Most of these families are not found to have maltreated
their children and want the best for their children, but sometimes
require assistance to provide a lifestyle conducive to this. It is an
alternative approach to providing protection to children by engaging
families in an assessment of child safety and of family needs, in find-
ing solutions to family problems and in identifying informal and formal
supports to meet their needs and increase their ability to care for
their children.

However, varying levels of success of the FAR program exist across the
state. In Monroe County last year, they suspended the program after a
review of the program, which had been precipitated by a death of a child
in a family being served by FAR. In 2013, Erie County suspended its FAR
program, because the program was found to be "seriously flawed". Yet in
NYC, the program is expected to expand citywide, following pilots in
Brooklyn and Queens.

While the FAR program is the right direction for the future of CPS
investigations, it seems clear the program could benefit greatly from an
expert review, in order to make it work as best as possible for all the
people across the state of New York.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Effective Immediately, and repealed two years after such date.

2019-S5827 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5827
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 15, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. PERSAUD -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Children and Families
 
 AN ACT authorizing and directing  the  office  of  children  and  family
   services  to conduct a study on the family assessment response program
   and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration there-
   of
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. The office of children and family services, in conjunction
 with the inspector general, is authorized  and  directed  to  conduct  a
 study on the family assessment response program. Such study shall:
   (a)  determine  if the program is accomplishing the program's intended
 goals;
   (b) determine if the program is being operated as designed;
   (c) identify areas where the program can be improved;
   (d) suggest changes to the program to improve areas where the  program
 needs improvement;
   (e) specify why certain areas of the program require changes;
   (f)  identify  if  localities  should  be  designing family assessment
 response programs or following a  template  that  has  been  vetted  and
 crafted by the state;
   (g)  determine  if  the  program  is worth expanding across the state,
 making the program either an opt-out or mandatory program; and
   (h) examining the expected expansion of the family assessment response
 program into New York City including, but not limited to:
   (i) how has the program worked in New York City prior  to  the  expan-
 sion; and
   (ii)  expected  outcomes for child welfare investigations in the city;
 and
   (i) study anything else the office of children and family services  or
 the  inspector  general  determines necessary to determine if the family
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD11148-01-9

 S. 5827                             2

 assessment response program  is  working  as  designed,  if  it  can  be
 improved, and if it is worth expanding and/or mandating state-wide.
   §  2.  The office of children and family services, in conjunction with
 the inspector general, shall publish a report containing  the  finds  of
 the study. Such report shall be delivered to the governor, the temporary
 president  of  the senate, and the speaker of the assembly no later than
 one year after the effective date of this act.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
 deemed repealed two years after such effective date.

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