S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1760
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 14, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  CUNNINGHAM  -- 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 statewide 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-B to read as follows:
 
                                 TITLE 1-B
                             YOUTH IN PROGRESS
 
 SECTION 394-H. YOUTH IN PROGRESS.
   § 394-H. YOUTH IN PROGRESS.  1. THE YOUTH IN PROGRESS STATEWIDE  ADVI-
 SORY  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 STATEWIDE 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
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01960-01-5
              

 A. 1760                             2
 
 CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES AND THE COUNCIL ON CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ON
 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 YOUTH IN PROGRESS STATEWIDE 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  YOUTH  IN  PROGRESS
 STATEWIDE  ADVISORY BOARD, TO BE MEMBERS OF THE ADVISORY BOARD'S MEMBER-
 SHIP. THE YOUTH IN PROGRESS STATEWIDE ADVISORY BOARD SHALL  HAVE  UP  TO
 TWENTY-EIGHT YOUTH PARTICIPANTS AND SHALL MEET AT LEAST THREE TIMES EACH
 YEAR.
   4.  (A)  THE  YOUTH  IN PROGRESS STATEWIDE ADVISORY BOARD MAY ISSUE AN
 ANNUAL REPORT WITH ITS RECOMMENDATIONS ON ISSUES OF INTEREST TO  ADOLES-
 CENTS  IN  FOSTER  CARE. THE REPORT MAY INCLUDE OTHER INFORMATION ON THE
 ACTIVITIES OF THE YOUTH IN PROGRESS STATEWIDE ADVISORY BOARD. THE OFFICE
 OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES SHALL PROVIDE  TECHNICAL  ASSISTANCE  TO
 THE  YOUTH  IN PROGRESS STATEWIDE ADVISORY 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
 STATEWIDE ADVISORY 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
 YOUTH IN PROGRESS STATEWIDE ADVISORY BOARD  FOR  REVIEW.  THE  YOUTH  IN
 PROGRESS STATEWIDE ADVISORY 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.