S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    63
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. HEVESI, SHIMSKY -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Children and Families
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to establishing the
   child and family well-being program; to amend the state  finance  law,
   in relation to the child and family well-being fund; and providing for
   the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
 
   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
 393-a to read as follows:
   §  393-A.    THE CHILD AND FAMILY WELL-BEING PROGRAM. 1. THE CHILD AND
 FAMILY WELL-BEING PROGRAM IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED AS A FLEXIBLE INNOVATIVE
 STATEWIDE FUNDING PROGRAM  TO  SUPPORT  LOCAL  EFFORTS  LED  BY  SMALLER
 NONPROFIT  COMMUNITY-BASED  PROVIDERS TO RESPOND TO CHILDREN'S AND FAMI-
 LIES' NEEDS  IN  COMMUNITIES,  WITH  AVENUES  FOR  COMMUNITY  INPUT  AND
 ACCOUNTABILITY.  THE  PROGRAM  SHALL FOCUS ON FUNDING PRIMARY PREVENTION
 AND RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES IN COMMUNITIES WITH  THE  HIGHEST  LEVELS  OF
 CHILD PROTECTIVE INVOLVEMENT IN EACH REGION.
   2. THE PROGRAM SHALL BE OVERSEEN BY AN ADVISORY BOARD MADE UP OF EIGHT
 MEMBERS  TO  BE  APPOINTED  BY THE COMMISSIONER, CONSISTING OF A DIVERSE
 GROUP OF PEOPLE WITH POLICY  EXPERTISE  IN  CHILDREN  AND  FAMILIES  AND
 PEOPLE  WITH  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  CHILD  WELFARE  AND OTHER PUBLIC
 SYSTEMS. ONE BOARD MEMBER SHALL SERVE AS A  FULL-TIME  DIRECTOR,  TO  BE
 DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
   3.  THE  BOARD  SHALL DISBURSE GRANTS TO ELIGIBLE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY-
 BASED PROVIDERS FROM THE CHILD AND FAMILY  WELL-BEING  FUND  ESTABLISHED
 PURSUANT TO SECTION NINETY-SEVEN-AAAA OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW.
   4.  THE BOARD SHALL DETERMINE CRITERIA TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
 TO SMALL NONPROFIT COMMUNITY-BASED PROVIDERS IN ORDER TO  DIVERSIFY  AND
 STRENGTHEN  THE  ARRAY  OF  ORGANIZATIONS  THAT  CAN SUPPORT FAMILIES IN
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD00081-01-5
 A. 63                               2
 
 COMMUNITIES WITH THE HIGHEST LEVELS  OF  CHILD  PROTECTIVE  INVOLVEMENT,
 INCLUDING:
   (A)  DEVELOPING  A  CONCEPT  PAPER  THROUGH  A PROCESS DESIGNED TO (I)
 ENSURE THAT SMALLER NONPROFIT COMMUNITY-BASED PROVIDERS GROUPS IN COMMU-
 NITIES WITH THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF CHILD PROTECTIVE INVOLVEMENT ARE AWARE
 OF THIS PROGRAM, (II) ELICIT GUIDANCE FROM  BOTH  COMMUNITY  GROUPS  AND
 STATE  AND  LOCAL  AGENCIES TO DIRECT RESOURCES TO COMMUNITIES WITH WEAK
 GRASSROOTS INFRASTRUCTURE AROUND FAMILY LIFE AND  TO  ADDRESS  COMMUNITY
 AND FAMILY ISSUES THAT ARE IMPLICATED IN LOCAL CHILD PROTECTIVE INVOLVE-
 MENT,  AND  (III)  ENSURE  THAT  THE  CHILD AND FAMILY WELL-BEING FUND'S
 CAPACITY-BUILDING AND LEARNING DESIGN WILL ADDRESS NEEDS.
   (B) DISBURSING GRANTS OF  TWENTY  THOUSAND  TO  TWO  HUNDRED  THOUSAND
 DOLLARS  TO  SMALL  NONPROFIT  COMMUNITY-BASED  PROVIDERS  THAT INCREASE
 ACCESS TO EXISTING RESOURCES;
   (C) ESTABLISH FOUR REGIONAL BACKBONE NONPROFIT  PARTNERS  TO  WORK  TO
 INCREASE  COMMUNITY CAPACITY THROUGH INVESTMENT IN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE,
 CAPACITY-BUILDING, EVALUATION AND FACILITATION OF A COMMUNITY  OF  PRAC-
 TICE  AMONG  GRANTEES  AND  BUILD  A  FORMAT  FOR  LOCAL INPUT ON GRANTS
 DISTRIBUTED BY THE CHILD AND FAMILY WELL-BEING FUND; AND
   (D) PRODUCE ANNUAL PUBLIC REPORTS TO  THE  LEGISLATURE  THAT  IDENTIFY
 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BROAD STRUCTURAL REALIGNMENTS AND INVESTMENTS AT THE
 STATE  AND COUNTY LEVEL TO INCREASE CAPACITIES OF GRASSROOTS, COMMUNITY-
 LED ORGANIZATIONS AROUND ITS PUBLIC HEALTH STRATEGY FOR FAMILY  WELL-BE-
 ING.
   5. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION:
   (A)  "COMMUNITIES WITH THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF CHILD PROTECTIVE INVOLVE-
 MENT" SHALL MEAN COMMUNITIES WITH ZIP CODES WITH  THE  HIGHEST  INVESTI-
 GATION AND CHILD REMOVAL RATES.
   (B)  "SMALLER  NONPROFIT  COMMUNITY-BASED  PROVIDERS" SHALL MEAN LOCAL
 ORGANIZATIONS WITH BUDGETS UNDER TWO MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY WHO  OFFER
 VOLUNTARY  NETWORKS OF CARE THROUGH SERVICES OR RESOURCES TO FAMILIES OR
 PARENTS THAT ARE NOT DUPLICATIVE  OF  EXISTING  FUNDING  STREAMS  AROUND
 PREVENTION  SERVICES, MENTAL HEALTH, AND/OR THAT ENHANCE THE CAPACITY OF
 A COMMUNITY TO ACCESS EXISTING RESOURCES, SUCH  AS  THROUGH  TRANSPORTA-
 TION,  CASH  RESOURCES, PEER NAVIGATORS, HOME-BASED SUPPORTS, OR OPENING
 OF A SATELLITE SITE; THAT AFFIRMATIVELY ADDRESS  LOCAL  RACIAL  DISPARI-
 TIES;  COMMUNITY-BASED  ORGANIZATIONS WITH A RECORD OF PROVIDING QUALITY
 SERVICES TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES  IN  SUCH  COMMUNITIES,  INCLUDING  BY
 FAMILIES  IMPACTED  BY  CHILD  PROTECTIVE  SERVICES; HAVE A DEMONSTRATED
 CAPACITY TO VOLUNTARILY ENGAGE FAMILIES; AND HAVE DEVELOPED  A  PROPOSAL
 TO  MEET  SPECIFIC LOCAL NEEDS ASSOCIATED WITH CHILD PROTECTIVE INVOLVE-
 MENT.
   (C) "REGIONAL BACKBONE ORGANIZATION" SHALL MEAN  ONE  OF  UP  TO  FOUR
 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO ACT AS REGIONAL COORDINATORS OF THE CHILD AND
 FAMILY  WELL-BEING  FUND  WORKING TO INCREASE COMMUNITY CAPACITY THROUGH
 INVESTMENT IN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE,  CAPACITY-BUILDING,  EVALUATION  AND
 FACILITATION  OF  A  COMMUNITY  OF  PRACTICE  AMONG GRANTEES AND BUILD A
 FORMAT FOR LOCAL INPUT ON GRANTS DISTRIBUTED BY  THE  CHILD  AND  FAMILY
 WELL-BEING  FUND.  THE  REGIONAL  BACKBONE  ORGANIZATION  SHALL NOT HAVE
 CONCURRENT SERVICE CONTRACTS WITH LOCAL DEPARTMENTS OF  SOCIAL  SERVICES
 WITHIN THEIR REGION.
   6.  THE BOARD SHALL ANNUALLY REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE ON THE PROGRESS
 OF THE CHILD AND FAMILY WELL-BEING PROGRAM AND DISBURSEMENTS  UNDER  THE
 CHILD AND FAMILY WELL-BEING FUND.
   §  2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 97-aaaa
 to read as follows:
 A. 63                               3
 
   § 97-AAAA. CHILD AND FAMILY WELL-BEING FUND. 1. THERE IS HEREBY ESTAB-
 LISHED IN THE JOINT CUSTODY OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER AND THE COMMISSION-
 ER OF TAXATION AND FINANCE A SPECIAL REVENUE FUND TO  BE  KNOWN  AS  THE
 CHILD AND FAMILY WELL-BEING FUND.
   2. THE CHILD AND FAMILY WELL-BEING FUND SHALL CONSIST OF MONEYS APPRO-
 PRIATED, CREDITED OR TRANSFERRED THERETO FROM ANY OTHER FUND OR SOURCE.
   3. MONEYS OF THE CHILD AND FAMILY WELL-BEING FUND, FOLLOWING APPROPRI-
 ATION  BY  THE LEGISLATURE AND ALLOCATION BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE BUDGET,
 SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE CHILD  AND  FAMILY
 WELL-BEING  PROGRAM FOR GRANTS TO NONPROFIT COMMUNITY-BASED PROVIDERS TO
 RESPOND TO CHILDREN'S AND FAMILIES'  NEEDS  IN  CERTAIN  COMMUNITIES  AS
 ESTABLISHED  BY  SECTION  THREE  HUNDRED  NINETY-THREE-A  OF  THE SOCIAL
 SERVICES LAW.
   4. THE ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE  CHILD  AND  FAMILY  WELL-BEING  PROGRAM
 SHALL  SUBMIT  A  REPORT  TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE BY JANUARY
 THIRTY-FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER  DETAIL-
 ING  ALL  EXPENDITURES  MADE  FROM  THE CHILD AND FAMILY WELL-BEING FUND
 DURING THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
   § 3. This act shall take effect January 1, 2026 and shall  expire  and
 be deemed repealed January 1, 2031. 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.