S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5434
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 14, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. HEVESI -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Children and Families
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend the social services law, in relation to requiring the
   office of children and family services to provide luggage to youth  in
   foster care
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The social services law is amended by adding a new  section
 398-f to read as follows:
   § 398-F. DUTY  TO  PROVIDE LUGGAGE TO FOSTER CHILDREN. 1. DEFINITIONS.
 FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING  TERMS  SHALL  HAVE  THE
 FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A)  "DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION" MEANS RACE OR ETHNICITY, GENDER, COMMU-
 NITY DISTRICT, PRIMARY LANGUAGE, AND ANY OTHER CATEGORY  THE  OFFICE  OF
 CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES DEEMS RELEVANT.
   (B)  "FOSTER  CARE  AGENCY"  MEANS  THE VOLUNTARY AGENCY CONTRACTED BY
 SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE FOSTER CARE.
   (C) "LUGGAGE" MEANS A DURABLE SUITCASE, DUFFEL BAG, BACKPACK, OR SIMI-
 LAR REUSABLE CONTAINER THAT IS NEW OR IS IN NEW-LIKE CONDITION,  AND  IS
 DESIGNED  TO  HOLD  AN  INDIVIDUAL'S  PERSONAL  BELONGINGS  AND IS NOT A
 DISPOSABLE BAG, TRASH BAG, OR CARDBOARD BOX.
   2. FOSTER YOUTH LUGGAGE. THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN  AND  FAMILY  SERVICES
 SHALL  PROCURE,  DISTRIBUTE, AND SUPPLY LUGGAGE TO FOSTER CARE YOUTH WHO
 DO NOT HAVE APPROPRIATE LUGGAGE OF THEIR OWN AND WHO ARE:  (A)  ENTERING
 FOSTER  CARE;  (B) MOVING FROM ONE FOSTER CARE PLACEMENT TO ANOTHER; (C)
 EXITING FOSTER CARE; (D) MOVING TO COLLEGE; OR (E) IN  ANY  OTHER  SITU-
 ATION  WHERE  LUGGAGE  IS  NEEDED. IF ANY FOSTER CARE YOUTH REPORTS THAT
 THEIR LUGGAGE HAS BEEN LOST, STOLEN, OR DAMAGED, THE OFFICE OF  CHILDREN
 AND   FAMILY   SERVICES  SHALL  PROVIDE  REPLACEMENT  LUGGAGE  AT  THEIR
 DISCRETION. ANY LUGGAGE PROVIDED BY THE OFFICE OF  CHILDREN  AND  FAMILY
 SERVICES  MAY NOT BE RECLAIMED OR RETAINED BY THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07383-01-5
              

 A. 5434                             2
 
 FAMILY SERVICES, SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICTS, FOSTER CARE AGENCIES, OR THE
 CHILD'S FOSTER PARENT.
   3.  PARTNERSHIP WITH SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICTS. THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN
 AND FAMILY SERVICES SHALL DISTRIBUTE  NEW  LUGGAGE  TO  SOCIAL  SERVICES
 DISTRICTS  BASED ON THE NUMBER OF FOSTER CHILDREN IN EACH LOCALITY. EACH
 SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT SHALL DISTRIBUTE NEW LUGGAGE TO CHILDREN WITHIN
 THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES' CARE AND CUSTODY OR CARE AND
 GUARDIANSHIP, AS WELL AS TO ANY VOLUNTARY AGENCIES WITHIN  THEIR  JURIS-
 DICTIONS  WITH  WHOM  THEY  CONTRACT  FOR  THE  PROVISION OF FOSTER CARE
 SERVICES.
   4. FOSTER YOUTH LUGGAGE REPORTING. NO LATER  THAN  DECEMBER  FIRST  OF
 EACH  YEAR,  THE  OFFICE  OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES SHALL SUBMIT A
 REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE DETAILING  THE  PROVISION  OF
 LUGGAGE TO FOSTER CARE YOUTH. SUCH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NEED NOT BE
 LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
   (A)  THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FOSTER CARE YOUTH GIVEN LUGGAGE, IN TOTAL AND
 DISAGGREGATED BY DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION;
   (B) TO THE EXTENT THERE ARE FOSTER  CARE  YOUTH  UTILIZING  DISPOSABLE
 BAGS,  TRASH  BAGS,  OR CARDBOARD BOXES IN PLACE OF LUGGAGE TO TRANSPORT
 THEIR BELONGINGS, THE NUMBER OF SUCH FOSTER CARE  YOUTH  UTILIZING  SUCH
 DISPOSABLE  BAGS, TRASH BAGS, OR CARDBOARD BOXES, IN TOTAL AND DISAGGRE-
 GATED BY DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION, AND THE REASON SUCH YOUTH ARE  UTILIZ-
 ING SUCH DISPOSABLE BAG, TRASH BAG, OR CARDBOARD BOX; AND
   (C)  THE  SUPPLY,  COST,  AND  INVENTORY MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES FOR THE
 OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES' LUGGAGE SUPPLY.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
 it shall have become a law.