NY State Senate Bill 2023-S5828

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs 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

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
Mar 17, 2023	referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs

co-Sponsors

2023-S5828 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs
Law Section:: Military Law
Laws Affected:: Add §256, Mil L

2023-S5828 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes a childcare program to provide active duty members of the New York national guard assistance in locating, selecting, and offsetting the cost of civilian childcare when on-base childcare is not available to such members.

2023-S5828 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S5828

SPONSOR: SCARCELLA-SPANTON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the military law, in relation to establishing the "guard
our children act"

 
PURPOSE:

This bill provides childcare fee assistance to families of National
Guard members, with subsides.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Titles this legislation the "Guard our Children Act".

Section2: Creates the Childcare Program for the New York National Guard,
to be established under the Division of Military and Naval Affairs and
the Office of Children and Family Services. The Program shall provide
assistance in locating, selecting and offsetting the cost of civilian
childcare when on-base childcare is not available.

Creates an online database to input family information and a method to
quickly activate account when a member is deployed and needs childcare.

Creates a subsidy for childcare and the amount of childcare fee assist-
ance provided by the Federal Department of Defense. Childcare subsides
are submitted directly to the childcare provider.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In order to both retain and attract more National Guard members, New
York State needs to address one of the many deterrents for National
Guard families - affording quality child care when they are deployed.
New York needs to step(p in because even with fee assistance from the
Federal Department of Defense, childcare for National Guard members is
still more expensive than the on base care that is afforded to most
other military groups. Outside of the cost, the burden of finding quali-
ty childcare weighs heavily on National Guard families.  This program
seeks to alleviate the burden by providing assistant in locating and
selecting childcare.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
90 Days after it becomes law; however, effective immediately, any addi-
tions, amendments, or repeal of any rule/regulation needed for its
implementation may be made.

2023-S5828 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5828
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 17, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. SCARCELLA-SPANTON, ASHBY -- read twice and ordered
   printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Veter-
   ans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs
 
 AN ACT to amend the military law, in relation to establishing the "guard
   our children act"

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "guard  our
 children act".
   §  2.  The military law is amended by adding a new section 256 to read
 as follows:
   § 256. CHILDCARE PROGRAM FOR NEW YORK NATIONAL GUARD.  1. DEFINITIONS.
 FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING  TERMS  SHALL  HAVE  THE
 FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A)  "CHILDCARE  PROGRAM"  OR  "PROGRAM"  MEANS  THE CHILDCARE PROGRAM
 ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION.
   (B) "CHILDCARE PROVIDER" MEANS AN ENTITY  LICENSED  OR  REGISTERED  TO
 OPERATE UNDER SECTION THREE HUNDRED NINETY OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES LAW.
   (C)  "ELIGIBLE  CHILDREN" MEANS CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF SIX WEEKS
 AND TWELVE YEARS OLD WHO ARE DEPENDENTS  OF  MEMBERS  OF  THE  NEW  YORK
 NATIONAL GUARD.
   (D)  "ENROLLED CHILDCARE PROVIDER" MEANS A CHILDCARE PROVIDER ENROLLED
 IN THE PROGRAM PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
   (E) "MEMBER" MEANS A MEMBER OF THE NEW YORK NATIONAL GUARD.
   2. ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE.  THE  DIVISION  OF  MILITARY  AND  NAVAL
 AFFAIRS, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES,
 SHALL  DEVELOP  AND  IMPLEMENT A CHILDCARE PROGRAM TO BENEFIT MEMBERS OF
 THE NEW YORK NATIONAL GUARD IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE  PROVISIONS  OF  THIS
 SECTION.    SUCH  PROGRAM SHALL PROVIDE MEMBERS OF THE NEW YORK NATIONAL
 GUARD ASSISTANCE IN LOCATING, SELECTING,  AND  OFFSETTING  THE  COST  OF
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09589-01-3
 S. 5828                             2

 
 CIVILIAN  CHILDCARE  WHEN  ON-BASE  CHILDCARE  IS  NOT AVAILABLE TO SUCH
 MEMBERS.
   3.  ONLINE  DATABASE.  IN DEVELOPING THE CHILDCARE PROGRAM PURSUANT TO
 SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION, THE  DIVISION  OF  MILITARY  AND  NAVAL
 AFFAIRS, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES,
 SHALL CREATE AN ONLINE DATABASE THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE
 NEW  YORK  NATIONAL GUARD AND CHILDCARE PROVIDERS IN THE STATE, AND THAT
 SHALL CONTAIN:
   (A) A METHOD FOR ANY MEMBER TO SUBMIT  FAMILY  INFORMATION,  INCLUDING
 INFORMATION ON ANY ELIGIBLE CHILDREN IN SUCH MEMBER'S FAMILY, AND WHERE-
 BY  SUCH  MEMBER  MAY QUICKLY ACTIVATE A REQUEST FOR CHILDCARE UNDER THE
 PROGRAM WHEN SUCH MEMBER IS CALLED TO ACTIVE SERVICE;
   (B) A LIST OF ALL QUALIFYING CRITERIA, IDENTIFICATION, AND ELIGIBILITY
 REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED FOR MEMBERS TO APPLY  FOR  SUBSIDIES  UNDER
 THE PROGRAM;
   (C)  AN  APPLICATION  PROCESS FOR CHILDCARE PROVIDERS TO ENROLL IN THE
 PROGRAM;
   (D) A SEARCHABLE LIST OF CHILDCARE PROVIDERS THAT HAVE  BEEN  ACCEPTED
 INTO THE PROGRAM, INCLUDING DETAILS ON EACH SUCH CHILDCARE PROVIDER THAT
 THE  DIVISION  OF  MILITARY AND NAVAL AFFAIRS AND THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN
 AND FAMILY SERVICES SHALL DEEM USEFUL TO  MEMBERS  SEEKING  A  CHILDCARE
 PROVIDER UNDER THE PROGRAM;
   (E) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR CHILDCARE PROVIDERS SEEKING TO ENROLL
 IN THE PROGRAM; AND
   (F)  A  SUBSIDY CALCULATOR THE MEMBERS MAY USE TO CALCULATE THE AMOUNT
 OF SUBSIDIES SUCH MEMBER IS ELIGIBLE FOR UNDER THE PROGRAM.
   4. ELIGIBILITY. (A) IN ORDER  FOR  A  MEMBER  TO  PARTICIPATE  IN  THE
 PROGRAM,  REQUESTED  CHILDCARE FOR ELIGIBLE CHILDREN SHALL BE CONSISTENT
 AND HAVE A FIXED SCHEDULE. ADDITIONALLY, NON-SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN  SHALL
 BE ENROLLED IN A MINIMUM OF SIX HOURS OF CARE PER WEEK DURING THE SCHOOL
 YEAR,  AND  A  MINIMUM  OF  SIXTEEN HOURS OF CARE PER WEEK DURING SCHOOL
 SUMMER BREAKS.  DROP-IN CARE SHALL NOT BE COVERED BY THE PROGRAM.
   (B) THE DIVISION OF MILITARY AND NAVAL AFFAIRS,  IN  CONJUNCTION  WITH
 THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES, SHALL DEVELOP ANY ADDITIONAL
 ELIGIBILITY  REQUIREMENTS  FOR  MEMBERS  TO  RECEIVE SUBSIDIES UNDER THE
 PROGRAM, AND FOR CHILDCARE PROVIDERS SEEKING TO ENROLL IN THE PROGRAM.
   5. SUBSIDIES. (A) AN ACTIVE SERVICE MEMBER OF THE  NEW  YORK  NATIONAL
 GUARD WHO MEETS THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PROGRAM ESTABLISHED
 PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION  FOUR  OF  THIS  SECTION  SHALL BE ENTITLED TO
 RECEIVE A SUBSIDY FOR USE  OF  A  CHILDCARE  PROVIDER  ENROLLED  IN  THE
 PROGRAM.
   (B)  THE SUBSIDY AMOUNT AUTHORIZED FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL MEMBER SHALL BE
 CALCULATED BASED ON THE EXCESS MONTHLY FEE FOR  THE  ENROLLED  CHILDCARE
 PROVIDER CHOSEN BY SUCH MEMBER, AFTER APPLICATION OF ANY OTHER CHILDCARE
 SUPPLEMENT  RECEIVED  BY  SUCH  MEMBER  FROM  THE  FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF
 DEFENSE, UP TO A CAP OF SEVENTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS PER ELIGIBLE CHILD PER
 MONTH.
   (C) ALL CHILDCARE COSTS SHALL BE PROCESSED DIRECTLY TO  THE  CHILDCARE
 PROVIDER  AND PROCESSED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROGRAM POLICIES, DEPEND-
 ENT ON SUBMISSION OF COMPLETED ATTENDANCE SHEETS. NO PAYMENTS  SHALL  BE
 GUARANTEED  UNTIL A FINAL APPROVAL CERTIFICATE HAS BEEN SENT TO BOTH THE
 MEMBER AND CHILDCARE PROVIDER. IT SHALL BE THE  RESPONSIBILITY  OF  BOTH
 THE MEMBER AND CHILDCARE PROVIDER TO REVIEW ALL APPROVALS MADE FOR ACCU-
 RACY AND TO REPORT ANY INACCURACIES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
   6.  DISSEMINATION  OF  INFORMATION. THE DIVISION OF MILITARY AND NAVAL
 AFFAIRS, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES,
 S. 5828                             3
 
 SHALL CREATE  AND  DISSEMINATE  INFORMATIONAL  MATERIALS  REGARDING  THE
 AVAILABILITY  OF  AID  PROVIDED  UNDER THE PROGRAM TO MEMBERS OF THE NEW
 YORK NATIONAL GUARD, WHICH SHALL INCLUDE INFORMATION ON WHERE AND HOW TO
 APPLY FOR SUCH AID.
   §  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary  for  the  implementation  of
 this  act  on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
 on or before such effective date.

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Senate Bill S5828

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs Committee

co-Sponsors

2023-S5828 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S5828 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S5828 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S5828 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S5828

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Sponsored By

Jessica Scarcella-Spanton

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs Committee

co-Sponsors

Jacob Ashby

2023-S5828 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S5828 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S5828 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S5828 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments