NY State Senate Bill 2025-S3781

Senate Bill S3781

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Requires the office of children and family services to provide luggage to youth in foster care

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Children And Families 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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 30, 2025	referred to children and families

co-Sponsors

2025-S3781 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A5434
Current Committee:: Senate Children And Families
Law Section:: Social Services Law
Laws Affected:: Add §398-f, Soc Serv L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S7487

2025-S3781 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the office of children and family services to provide luggage to youth in foster care; provides that such luggage shall be distributed to social services districts for distribution to foster care youth; requires the office of children and family services to submit an annual report to the governor and the legislature about the distribution of luggage to foster care youth.

2025-S3781 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S3781

SPONSOR: BRISPORT
 
TITLE OF BILL:

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

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill adds new section 398-f to the social services law,
requiring the provision of luggage to youth in foster care.

Section 2 sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

This legislation would require that the Office of Children and Family
Services (OCFS) provide luggage to youth in foster care.

Every day in New York State, a child enters the foster system carrying

everything they own in a black plastic trash bag - a stark symbol of the
dehumanizing and traumatic experience they are about to endure.  For
many foster children, their possessions are more than just objects; they
are symbols of their identity, history, and worth.  Relegating chil-
dren's belongings to trash bags, leaves them feeling degraded, dehuman-
ized, and traumatized. New York State foster youth deserve better; yet,
they currently have no legal guarantee of a dignified transition with
the proper luggage that every American uses for everyday travel or tran-
sitions.

In recent years, the OCFS launched the "My Bag" initiative to provide
luggage to youth in foster care. However, this program has been limited
in its reach. In 2023, there were an estimated 13,450 children in foster
care in New York State, with roughly 23,105 transitions per year. Chil-
dren in the New York State foster care system face frequent transitions,
experiencing three different placements on average during their time in
care. However, under the My Bag initiative, only 3,000 bags have been
distributed annually.

This legislation would build on the existing "My Bag" initiative, and
mandate the provision of luggage at state expense for all youth in
foster care.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

None.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

For the initial "My Bag" initiative, the average cost per bag has been
$11.95, and the annual cost has ranged from $30,908 to $64,869. For an
expansion of the program, we can conservatively estimate a cost of
approximately $15 per bag. The total annual cost will depend upon the
number of transfers requiring new luggage in a given year; assuming
conservatively that each and every one of the 13,450 children in foster
care across New York State requires new luggage in one year, this would
result in a total cost of approximately $201,750. It should be noted,
however, that not all youth in foster care will require luggage, and
that costs can be offset by donations. The overall fiscal implications
remain to be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the 120th day after it shall have become a
law.

2025-S3781 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3781
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 30, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. BRISPORT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed 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

 S. 3781                             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.

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Senate Bill S3781

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Jabari Brisport