S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3371
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 26, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  RICHARDSON  -- read once and referred 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-A to read as follows:
 
                                 TITLE 1-A
                             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
 CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES AND THE COUNCIL ON CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ON
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD04784-01-1

 A. 3371                             2
 
 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.