§ 532-a. Definitions. For the purposes of this article the term:

1. "Runaway youth" shall mean a person under the age of eighteen years
who is absent from his or her legal residence without the consent of his
or her parent, legal guardian or custodian.

2. "Homeless youth" shall mean:

(a) a person under the age of eighteen who is in need of services and
is without a place of shelter where supervision and care are available;
or

(b) a person who is under the age of twenty-one but is at least age
eighteen and who is in need of services and is without a place of
shelter.

(c) Provided however, when a municipality's approved comprehensive
plan authorizes that services pursuant to this article be provided to
"homeless young adults" as such term is defined in this section, then
for purposes related to the provisions of that municipality's approved
comprehensive plan that include "homeless young adults", the term
"homeless youth" as used in this article shall be deemed to include
"homeless young adults".

3. "Youth in need of crisis intervention or respite services" shall
mean a person under the age of eighteen years who is a potential
respondent under article seven of the family court act, who, with the
consent of his or her parent or other person legally responsible for the
youth, is determined by the local juvenile probation department or
social services official to be in need of crisis intervention or respite
services.

4. "Runaway and homeless youth crisis services program" shall mean:

(a) any non-residential program approved by the office of children and
family services, after submission by the municipality as part of its
comprehensive plan, that provides services to runaway youth and homeless
youth in accordance with the regulations of the office of children and
family services; or

(b) any residential program which is operated by an authorized agency
as defined in subdivision ten of section three hundred seventy-one of
the social services law, and certified by the office of children and
family services to provide short-term residential services to runaway
youth and homeless youth in accordance with the applicable regulations
of the office of temporary and disability assistance and the office of
children and family services.

(c) Runaway and homeless youth crisis services programs may also
provide non-residential crisis intervention and, if certified,
residential respite services to youth in need of crisis intervention or
respite services, as such term is defined in this section. Residential
respite services in a certified runaway and homeless youth crisis
services program may be provided to such youth for no more than
twenty-one days, in accordance with the regulations of the office of
children and family services and section seven hundred thirty-five of
the family court act.

5. "Runaway and homeless youth service coordinator" shall mean any
person so designated by a municipality whose duties shall include but
not be limited to answering inquiries at any time concerning
transportation, shelter and other services available to a runaway or
homeless youth or a youth in need of crisis intervention or respite
services.

6. "Transitional independent living support program" shall mean:

(a) any non-residential program approved by the office of children and
family services, after submission by the municipality as part of its
comprehensive plan, that provides supportive services to enable homeless
youth to progress from crisis care and transitional care to independent
living, in accordance with the applicable regulations of the office of
children and family services; or

(b) any residential program established and operated to provide
supportive services, in accordance with the regulations of the office of
children and family services, to enable homeless youth to progress from
crisis care and transitional care to independent living.

(c) A transitional independent living support program may also provide
services to youth in need of crisis intervention or respite services.
Notwithstanding the time limitation in paragraph (i) of subdivision (d)
of section seven hundred thirty-five of the family court act,
residential respite services may be provided in a transitional
independent living support program for a period of more than twenty-one
days.

7. "Safe house" shall mean a residential program for sexually
exploited children as defined in subdivision one of section four hundred
forty-seven-a of the social services law. An approved runaway program
may operate a short-term safe house, as defined in subdivision two of
section four hundred forty-seven-a of the social services law, for
sexually exploited children. A transitional independent living support
program may operate a long-term safe house for sexually exploited
children.

8. "Municipality" shall mean a county, or a city having a population
of one million or more.

9. "Homeless young adult" shall mean a person who is age twenty-four
or younger but is at least age twenty-one and who is in need of services
and is without a place of shelter.