Assembly Bill A9591B

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  9591

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                             March 20, 2012
                               ___________

Introduced  by M. of A. CLARK -- read once and referred to the Committee
  on Children and Families

AN ACT to amend the social services law and the domestic relations  law,
  in  relation to the provision of information on post-adoption services
  to adoptive parents

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  Section  372-b  of  the social services law is amended by
adding a new subdivision 4 to read as follows:
  4. A. EACH LOCAL  SOCIAL  SERVICES  DISTRICT  SHALL  CREATE  AND  KEEP
CURRENT  A  RESOURCE GUIDE DESCRIBING AVAILABLE LOCAL, AND TO THE EXTENT
PRACTICABLE, REGIONAL POST-ADOPTION SERVICES, WHETHER PROVIDED  DIRECTLY
BY THE DISTRICT OR BY A NON-GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY, INCLUDING A DESCRIPTION
OF  SERVICES,  LOCATION  AND  CONTACT  INFORMATION  FOR  EACH APPLICABLE
SERVICE PROVIDER, NOTING THAT THE DISTRICT IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR  COSTS
THAT  THEY  WOULD  NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDE. SUCH SERVICES MAY INCLUDE, BUT
SHALL NOT BE LIMITED TO, RESPITE,  COUNSELING,  MENTAL  HEALTH,  SUPPORT
GROUPS  AND  OTHER  SERVICES  THE DISTRICT DEEMS APPROPRIATE IN ORDER TO
FOSTER AND MAINTAIN PERMANENCY. SUCH RESOURCE GUIDE SHALL BE PROVIDED TO
ADOPTIVE PARENTS IN THE APPLICABLE FAMILY COURT DURING, OR PRIOR TO, THE
FINAL ADOPTION PROCEEDING.
  B. THE RESOURCE GUIDE SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE FAMILY  COURT  BY
MEANS  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT LIMITED TO E-MAIL, FAX, OR HARD COPY SO AS TO
GUARANTEE THAT THE FAMILY COURT WILL HAVE CONTINUED ACCESS TO SUCH DOCU-
MENT AND THE FINALIZATION OF THE ADOPTION WILL NOT BE IMPEDED.
  S 2. Section 112 of the domestic relations law is amended by adding  a
new subdivision 9 to read as follows:
  9.  THE RULES OF THE COURT SHALL REQUIRE THAT PRIOR TO THE GRANTING OF
THE ORDER OF ADOPTION, THE PRESIDING JUDGE  OR  SURROGATE  SHALL  ENSURE
THAT  THE  ADOPTIVE  PARENT  OR PARENTS HAVE RECEIVED INFORMATION ON THE
AVAILABILITY AND LOCATION OF POST-ADOPTION SERVICES IN  ACCORDANCE  WITH
SECTION  THREE HUNDRED SEVENTY-TWO-B OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES LAW. FAILURE
TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCE GUIDE SHALL NOT DELAY THE PROCEEDING  OR  AFFECT
THE VALIDITY OF THE ADOPTION.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                           LBD15097-01-2

A. 9591                             2

  S  3. Section 115 of the domestic relations law is amended by adding a
new subdivision 14 to read as follows:
  14. THE RULES OF THE COURT SHALL REQUIRE THAT PRIOR TO THE GRANTING OF
THE  ORDER  OF  ADOPTION,  THE PRESIDING JUDGE OR SURROGATE SHALL ENSURE
THAT THE ADOPTIVE PARENT OR PARENTS HAVE  RECEIVED  INFORMATION  ON  THE
AVAILABILITY  AND  LOCATION OF POST-ADOPTION SERVICES IN ACCORDANCE WITH
SECTION THREE HUNDRED SEVENTY-TWO-B OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES LAW.  FAILURE
TO  PROVIDE  THE RESOURCE GUIDE SHALL NOT DELAY THE PROCEEDING OR AFFECT
THE VALIDITY OF THE ADOPTION.
  S 4. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
have become a law.

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                 9591--A

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                             March 20, 2012
                               ___________

Introduced  by M. of A. CLARK -- read once and referred to the Committee
  on Children  and  Families  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,
  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN  ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to requiring child
  care agencies to provide potential adoptive parents  with  information
  concerning  state-funded  benefits  or  services  received by a foster
  child that expire upon adoption

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  Section  372-f  of  the social services law is amended by
adding a new subdivision 5 to read as follows:
  5. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROMULGATE  REGULATIONS  WHICH  SHALL  REQUIRE
AUTHORIZED  CHILD CARE AGENCIES IN THE STATE TO PROVIDE A FOSTER PARENT,
WHO HAS EXPRESSED INTEREST IN ADOPTING A FOSTER CHILD, WITH  A  LIST  OF
ANY STATE-FUNDED BENEFITS OR SERVICES THAT SUCH FOSTER CHILD IS CURRENT-
LY  ELIGIBLE  FOR,  BUT  SHALL  EXPIRE  UPON THE ADOPTION OF SUCH FOSTER
CHILD. SUCH INFORMATION SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO  THE  PUBLIC  ON  THE
CHILD CARE AGENCY'S WEBSITE.
  S  2.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law.





 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD15097-02-2