Assembly Bill A65A

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   65--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. HEVESI, LAVINE -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Children  and  Families  --  committee  discharged,  bill
   amended,  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
   tee
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to  the  establish-
   ment  of  a statewide supervised visitation initiative to support safe
   and structured parenting time
 
   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. SUPERVISED VISITATION TO SUPPORT SAFE AND STRUCTURED  PARENT-
 ING  TIME.    1.  THE LEGISLATURE FINDS AND DECLARES THAT PROFESSIONALLY
 SUPERVISED VISITATION PROGRAMS ARE OFTEN  NECESSARY  IN  ORDER  TO  KEEP
 FAMILIES SAFE, TO FOSTER HEALTHY FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS AND TO FURTHER THE
 BEST  INTERESTS  OF  CHILDREN  IN  FAMILY OFFENSE, CHILD PROTECTIVE, AND
 CUSTODY AND VISITATION PROCEEDINGS IN SUPREME AND FAMILY COURTS.  RECOG-
 NIZING  THAT  A  LARGE  NUMBER OF COUNTIES HAVE NO SUPERVISED VISITATION
 PROGRAMS AT ALL AND, OF THOSE THAT HAVE  SUCH  PROGRAMS,  THE  NEED  FAR
 EXCEEDS  THE  AVAILABILITY  OF  THE  PROGRAMS,  IT IS THE INTENT OF THIS
 SECTION TO PROVIDE STATE SUPPORT FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AT  LEAST  ONE
 PROGRAM  IN  EVERY COUNTY THAT DOES NOT HAVE ONE AND, FOR THOSE COUNTIES
 AND CITIES THAT HAVE PROGRAMS, TO EXPAND THEIR REACH TO MEET  THE  NEED.
 SUCH  PROGRAMS  MAY  BE  ESSENTIAL  IN  CASES INVOLVING FAMILY VIOLENCE,
 MENTAL HEALTH, OR OTHER CASES IN WHICH SUPERVISION IS VITAL TO MEET  THE
 NEEDS OF THE PARENT AND/OR CHILD.
   2.  WITHIN GRANT FUNDS APPROPRIATED BY THE STATE FOR THIS PURPOSE, THE
 OFFICE OF VICTIM SERVICES, IN  CONSULTATION  WITH  THE  OFFICE  FOR  THE
 PREVENTION  OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SHALL ESTABLISH A STATEWIDE SUPERVISED
 VISITATION INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT SAFE  AND  STRUCTURED  PARENTING  TIME,
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD00032-02-5
 A. 65--A                            2
 
 THAT  SHALL  INCLUDE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE SERVICES THAT PROVIDE LANGUAGE
 ACCESS FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT AND THAT  ARE  AFFORDABLE  FOR  THOSE  WITH
 LIMITED  MEANS  TO PAY. THE OFFICE OF VICTIM SERVICES SHALL REQUIRE EACH
 COUNTY AND NEW YORK CITY TO SUBMIT ANNUAL ASSESSMENTS OF THE LOCAL NEEDS
 FOR  SUPERVISED  VISITATION  SERVICES,  AS WELL AS PLANS FOR MEETING THE
 ASSESSED NEEDS AND FOR COLLECTING DATA REGARDING USAGE AND EFFECTIVENESS
 OF THE PROGRAMS. THE  SUBMISSIONS  SHALL  SPECIFY  THE  SERVICES  TO  BE
 PROVIDED,  THE ESTIMATED NUMBER OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TO BE SERVED BY
 THE PROGRAMS, THE ESTIMATED NUMBER OF FEE WAIVERS AND THE ESTIMATED COST
 OF THE PROGRAMS. THE SUBMISSIONS MAY  INCLUDE  PLANS  TO  CONTRACT  WITH
 PRIVATE  NON-PROFIT  ORGANIZATIONS  FOR  SERVICES AND MAY INCLUDE MULTI-
 COUNTY PROGRAMS IF GEOGRAPHICALLY ACCESSIBLE FOR FAMILIES UTILIZING  THE
 PROGRAMS.  THE PLAN FOR SUCH PROGRAMS SHALL BE INCLUDED IN THE DISTRICT-
 WIDE CHILD WELFARE SERVICES PLAN PURSUANT TO SECTION FOUR HUNDRED NINE-D
 OF THIS ARTICLE.
   3. SUCH PROGRAMS SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO COMPLY  WITH  SUPREME  AND
 FAMILY  COURT TEMPORARY AND FINAL ORDERS REQUIRING SUCH SUPERVISION AS A
 CONDITION OF ACCESS TO CHILDREN AND SHALL INCLUDE PROVISIONS FOR  WAIVER
 OF  FEES  FOR  USERS  OF  SUCH  PROGRAMS WHO CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY. WHERE
 DIRECTED BY THE COURT, THE PROGRAMS SHALL PROVIDE REPORTS TO  THE  COURT
 AT THE END OF THE VISITATION PERIOD AND AS THE COURT OTHERWISE DIRECTS.
   4.  THE  OFFICE OF VICTIM SERVICES SHALL PROMULGATE REGULATIONS NECES-
 SARY TO IMPLEMENT THIS SECTION AND SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE LEGISLA-
 TURE AND GOVERNOR ONE YEAR AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION  AND
 ANNUALLY  THEREAFTER.  THE  REPORT  SHALL  PROVIDE  DATA  REGARDING  THE
 PROGRAMS IN EACH COUNTY, SHALL EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE  STATE-
 WIDE INITIATIVE IN MEETING LOCAL NEEDS AND SHALL INCLUDE RECOMMENDATIONS
 FOR ENHANCING THE INITIATIVE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.