S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  7994--A
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             September 1, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. FORREST, SHIMSKY -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Social Services -- recommitted to the Committee on Social
   Services  in  accordance  with  Assembly  Rule  3, sec. 2 -- committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee

 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to persons  author-
   ized to visit facilities operated by the department of social services
   or a social services district and homeless projects
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 42 of the social services law is amended by  adding
 a new subdivision 6 to read as follows:
   6.  "EMERGENCY CONGREGATE HOUSING" SHALL MEAN ANY LOCATION OPERATED BY
 A STATE AGENCY, CITY AGENCY, OR LOCAL MUNICIPALITY OR A  PROVIDER  UNDER
 CONTRACT OR SIMILAR AGREEMENT WITH A STATE AGENCY, CITY AGENCY, OR LOCAL
 MUNICIPALITY  WHERE  INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES RESIDE FOR MORE THAN NINE-
 TY-SIX CONTINUOUS HOURS AND WHERE SUCH INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES SLEEP IN
 A CONGREGATE SETTING WITH SHARED FACILITIES, INCLUDING BUT  NOT  LIMITED
 TO   SLEEPING  QUARTERS AND BATHROOMS; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT EMERGENCY
 CONGREGATE HOUSING SHALL  NOT  INCLUDE  ANY  LOCATION  OPERATED  BY  THE
 DEPARTMENT  OR  A PROVIDER UNDER CONTRACT OR  SIMILAR AGREEMENT WITH THE
 DEPARTMENT.
   § 2. Subdivision 1 of section  42  of  the  social  services  law,  as
 amended  by    chapter  458  of  the laws of 1986, is amended to read as
 follows:
   1. "Homeless project" shall mean EMERGENCY  CONGREGATE  HOUSING  OR  a
 specific facility, including lands, buildings and improvements acquired,
 constructed, renovated or rehabilitated and operated by a not-for-profit
 corporation,  charitable organization, wholly owned subsidiary of a not-
 for-profit corporation or of a charitable  organization,  public  corpo-
 ration  or  a  municipality  to increase the availability of housing for
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13105-02-4
              

 A. 7994--A                          2
 
 homeless persons, which may include other non-housing services  such  as
 but  not  limited to dining, recreational, sanitary, social, medical and
 mental health services as may be deemed by the commissioner to be essen-
 tial to such a project.
   §  3.  The social services law is amended by adding a new section 40-a
 to read as follows:
   § 40-A. PERSONS AUTHORIZED TO VISIT  FACILITIES.  NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY
 RULE, REGULATION, OR LAW TO THE CONTRARY, THE FOLLOWING PERSONS SHALL BE
 AUTHORIZED  TO  VISIT AT PLEASURE ALL FACILITIES OPERATED BY THE DEPART-
 MENT OR A SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT, INCLUDING ADULT CARE  FACILITIES  AS
 DEFINED  IN  SUBDIVISION  TWENTY-ONE  OF SECTION TWO OF THIS CHAPTER AND
 HOMELESS PROJECTS AS DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION ONE OF SECTION FORTY-TWO  OF
 THIS  CHAPTER:  THE  GOVERNOR  AND  LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR, COMPTROLLER AND
 ATTORNEY-GENERAL, MEMBERS OF  THE  LEGISLATURE  AND  THEIR  ACCOMPANYING
 STAFF  AS  REQUESTED  BY  THE  MEMBER  OF  THE LEGISLATURE IF THE MEMBER
 REQUESTS TO BE SO ACCOMPANIED, MEMBERS OF THE ELECTED  LEGISLATIVE  BODY
 OF  THE  COUNTY  IN WHICH THE FACILITY IS LOCATED AND THEIR ACCOMPANYING
 STAFF AS REQUESTED BY THE MEMBER OF SUCH LEGISLATIVE BODY IF THE  MEMBER
 REQUESTS  TO  BE  SO ACCOMPANIED, IN CITY COUNCIL AND THEIR ACCOMPANYING
 STAFF AS REQUESTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL  MEMBER  IF  THE  COUNCIL  MEMBER
 REQUESTS  TO BE SO ACCOMPANIED, JUDGES OF THE COURT OF APPEALS, JUSTICES
 OF THE SUPREME COURT AND COUNTY JUDGES,  DISTRICT  ATTORNEYS  AND  EVERY
 CLERGYMAN  OR  MINISTER, AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN SECTION TWO OF THE
 RELIGIOUS CORPORATIONS LAW, HAVING CHARGE OF A CONGREGATION IN THE COUN-
 TY IN WHICH SUCH FACILITY IS LOCATED.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.