NY State Senate Bill 2021-S5596

Senate Bill S5596

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Authorizes the establishment of a caregiver support program for grandparents and other older adult relative caregivers

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Aging 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 05, 2022	referred to aging
Mar 11, 2021	referred to aging

2021-S5596 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A736
Current Committee:: Senate Aging
Law Section:: Elder Law
Laws Affected:: Add §225, Eld L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S1557, A1840
2011-2012: S270, A266, A9073
2013-2014: S865, A1961
2015-2016: S358, A5344
2017-2018: S507, S7222, A10575
2019-2020: S5359, A993
2023-2024: S2650

2021-S5596 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Creates a caregiver support program for grandparents and other older adult relative caregivers who are providing primary care for children aged 18 and under either formally or informally to provide technical assistance, counseling and other resources.

2021-S5596 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S5596

SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the elder law, in relation to authorizing the state
office for the aging to implement a caregiver support program for grand-
parents and other older relatives who are caring for children

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Amends the Elder Law by adding a new section 224, which
authorizes the State Office for the Aging (SOFA) to establish a Grand-
parent Caregiver Support Program to provide support services for grand-
parents and other older relatives who are providing primary care for a
child. Allows for the creation of grandparent caregiver resource centers
by local Area Agencies on Aging, provides information and referral for
grandparent caregivers, provides technical assistance and training for
grandparent caregiver support groups, provides counseling for grandpar-
ent caregivers, and provides publications related to the services avail-
able to grandparent caregivers.

Section 2: Sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

There are over 240,000 children being raised in grandparent-headed
households in New York State. Many grandparents assume responsibility
for their grandchildren under critical circumstances, such as drug
addiction or incarceration of the parents, death of the parents, and
mental health or disability issues faced by the parents. However, grand-
parent caregivers are often unaware of services available to them for
assistance. The Grandparent. Caregiver Support Program proposed by this
legislation would provide grandparent caregivers with the resources and
assistance they need to care for their grandchildren.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2008: S8266- Referred to Aging/A10013- Passed Assembly

2009: S1557- Committed to Rules/A1840- Reported Referred to Ways and
Means

2010:S1557- Reported and Committed to Finance/A1840 - Reported Referred
to Ways and Means

2011: S270 Reported and Committed to Finance/A266 - Referred to Aging

2012: S270 Referred to Aging/A9073 - Referred to Aging

2013: 5865 Reported and Committed to Finance/A1961 - Referred to Aging

2014: 5865 Reported and Committed to Finance/A1961 - Referred to Aging

2015: S358 Passed Senate/A5344 - Referred to Aging

2016: S358 Passed Senate/A5344 - Referred to Aging

2017: S507 Passed Senate
2018: A10575 Referred to Aging

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2021-S5596 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5596
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 11, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Aging
 
 AN ACT to amend the elder law, in  relation  to  authorizing  the  state
   office  for  the  aging  to  implement a caregiver support program for
   grandparents and other older relatives who are caring for children

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  elder  law is amended by adding a new section 225 to
 read as follows:
   § 225. GRANDPARENT CAREGIVER SUPPORT PROGRAM. 1. THE DIRECTOR IS HERE-
 BY AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED, TO THE EXTENT APPROPRIATIONS  ARE  AVAILABLE
 THEREFOR,  TO  DEVELOP  AND  ESTABLISH  A  GRANDPARENT CAREGIVER SUPPORT
 PROGRAM FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING SUPPORT SERVICES TO GRANDPARENTS OR
 OTHER OLDER ADULT RELATIVE CAREGIVERS WHO ARE PROVIDING PRIMARY CARE FOR
 A CHILD.
   2. DEFINITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION:
   (A) "GRANDPARENT OR OTHER OLDER ADULT RELATIVE CAREGIVERS" SHALL  MEAN
 A  GRANDPARENT OR STEPGRANDPARENT OF A CHILD OR A RELATIVE OF A CHILD BY
 BLOOD OR MARRIAGE WHO:
   (I) IS SIXTY YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER, AND
   (II) LIVES WITH THE CHILD, AND
   (III) PROVIDES PRIMARY CARE FOR THE CHILD BECAUSE  THE  BIOLOGICAL  OR
 ADOPTIVE  PARENTS  ARE UNWILLING OR UNABLE TO SERVE AS THE PRIMARY CARE-
 GIVER OF THE CHILD, AND
   (IV) IS THE CUSTODIAN OR GUARDIAN OF THE  CHILD,  OR  IS  RAISING  THE
 CHILD INFORMALLY.
   (B)  "CHILD"  SHALL MEAN AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR
 YOUNGER.
   3. THE GRANDPARENT CAREGIVER SUPPORT PROGRAM MAY INCLUDE, BUT  IS  NOT
 LIMITED TO:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04960-01-1

 S. 5596                             2
 
   (A)  THE  CREATION  OF GRANDPARENT CAREGIVER RESOURCE CENTERS BY LOCAL
 OFFICES FOR THE AGING IN NEW YORK STATE,
   (B)  TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING FOR GRANDPARENT AND OTHER OLDER
 ADULT RELATIVE CAREGIVERS SUPPORT GROUPS,
   (C) INFORMATION AND REFERRAL FOR GRANDPARENT  AND  OTHER  OLDER  ADULT
 RELATIVE CAREGIVERS,
   (D) ASSISTANCE TO GRANDPARENTS AND OTHER OLDER ADULT RELATIVE CAREGIV-
 ERS IN GAINING ACCESS TO AVAILABLE SERVICES,
   (E) COUNSELING TO GRANDPARENTS AND OTHER OLDER ADULT RELATIVE CAREGIV-
 ERS  IN MAKING DECISIONS AND SOLVING PROBLEMS RELATING TO THEIR CAREGIV-
 ING ROLES, AND
   (F) THE PUBLICATION AND DISSEMINATION OF PRINTED MATERIAL  RELATED  TO
 SERVICES  AVAILABLE TO GRANDPARENTS AND OTHER OLDER ADULT RELATIVE CARE-
 GIVERS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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