S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    821
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. FORREST, SHIMSKY, BORES -- read once and referred
   to the Committee on Social Services
 
 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
 homeless  persons,  which may include other non-housing services such as
 but not limited to dining, recreational, sanitary, social,  medical  and
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD02097-01-5
 A. 821                              2
 
 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.