S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  10145

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                              May 12, 2016
                               ___________

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

AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to expanding the applica-
  tion of the runaway and homeless youth program to youth under  twenty-
  five years of age

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

  Section 1. Subdivisions 2 and 6 of section 532-a of the executive law,
subdivision 2 as amended by chapter 800 of the laws of 1985 and subdivi-
sion 6 as amended by section 6 of part G of chapter 57 of  the  laws  of
2013, are amended to read as follows:
  2.  "Homeless youth" shall mean a person under the age of [twenty-one]
TWENTY-FIVE who is in need of services and is without a place of shelter
where supervision and care are available.
  6. "Transitional independent living support program"  shall  mean  any
non-residential  program  approved  by the office of children and family
services after submission by the municipality as part of its  comprehen-
sive  plan,  or any residential facility approved by the office of chil-
dren and family services after submission by the municipality as part of
its comprehensive plan to offer youth development programs,  established
and operated to provide supportive services, for a period of up to eigh-
teen months in accordance with the regulations of the office of children
and  family  services,  to  enable  homeless  youth  between the ages of
sixteen and [twenty-one] TWENTY-FIVE to progress from  crisis  care  and
transitional  care  to independent living. Such transitional independent
living support program may also provide services to  youth  in  need  of
crisis  intervention or respite services. Notwithstanding the time limi-
tation 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.
  S 2. Subdivision 6 of section 532-a of the executive law,  as  amended
by section 14 of part E of chapter 57 of the laws of 2005, is amended to
read as follows:
  6.  "Transitional  independent  living support program" shall mean any
non-residential program approved by the office of  children  and  family
services  after  submission  by  the  county youth bureau as part of its
              

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD14658-02-6

A. 10145                            2

comprehensive plan, or any residential facility approved by  the  office
of  children  and  family  services after submission by the county youth
bureau as part of its comprehensive plan, established  and  operated  to
provide  supportive  services,  for a period of up to eighteen months in
accordance with the regulations of the office  of  children  and  family
services,  to  enable  homeless  youth  between  the ages of sixteen and
[twenty-one] TWENTY-FIVE to progress from crisis care  and  transitional
care to independent living. Such transitional independent living support
program  may  also  provide  services  to youth in need of crisis inter-
vention 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.
  S  3. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 532-b of the executive
law, as amended by section 15 of part E of chapter 57  of  the  laws  of
2005, is amended to read as follows:
  (a)  provide  assistance  to any runaway or homeless youth or youth in
need of crisis intervention or respite services as defined in this arti-
cle, EXCEPT THAT FOR HOMELESS YOUTH OR YOUTH IN NEED  OF  CRISIS  INTER-
VENTION   OR  RESPITE  SERVICES  BETWEEN  THE  AGES  OF  TWENTY-ONE  AND
TWENTY-FIVE, AN APPROVED RUNAWAY PROGRAM MAY, BUT SHALL NOT BE  REQUIRED
TO, PROVIDE ASSISTANCE OR RESPITE SERVICES AS DEFINED IN THIS ARTICLE;
  S 4. Subdivision (a) of section 532-d of the executive law, as amended
by chapter 182 of the laws of 2002, is amended to read as follows:
  (a)  provide shelter to homeless youth between the ages of sixteen and
[twenty-one] TWENTY-FIVE as defined in this  article,  EXCEPT  THAT  FOR
HOMELESS  YOUTH BETWEEN THE AGES OF TWENTY-ONE AND TWENTY-FIVE, RESIDEN-
TIAL FACILITIES OPERATED  AS  TRANSITIONAL  INDEPENDENT  LIVING  SUPPORT
PROGRAMS MAY, BUT SHALL NOT BE REQUIRED TO, PROVIDE SHELTER;
  S 5. Paragraph a of subdivision 2 of section 420 of the executive law,
as  amended by section 3 of part G of chapter 57 of the laws of 2013, is
amended to read as follows:
  a. A municipality may submit to the  office  of  children  and  family
services  a  plan for the providing of services for runaway and homeless
youth, as defined in article nineteen-H  of  this  chapter.  Where  such
municipality  is receiving state aid pursuant to paragraph a of subdivi-
sion one of this section, such runaway and homeless youth plan shall  be
submitted as part of the comprehensive plan and shall be consistent with
the  goals  and  objectives  therein.  A runaway and homeless youth plan
shall be developed in consultation with the municipal youth  bureau  and
the county or city department of social services, shall be in accordance
with  the  regulations  of  the  office of children and family services,
shall provide for a coordinated range of services for runaway and  home-
less  youth  and their families including preventive, temporary shelter,
transportation, counseling, and other necessary  assistance,  and  shall
provide for the coordination of all available county resources for runa-
way  and  homeless youth and their families including services available
through the municipal youth bureau, the county  or  city  department  of
social  services,  local  boards  of  education,  local drug and alcohol
programs and organizations or programs which have past experience  deal-
ing  with  runaway  and homeless youth. Such plan may include provisions
for transitional independent living support programs for homeless  youth
between  the ages of sixteen and [twenty-one] TWENTY-FIVE as provided in
article nineteen-H of this chapter. Such plan shall also provide for the
designation and duties of the runaway and homeless youth service coordi-

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nator defined in section five hundred thirty-two-a of this  chapter  who
is  available  on  a  twenty-four  hour  basis and maintains information
concerning available shelter space, transportation  and  services.  Such
plan  may  include provision for the per diem reimbursement for residen-
tial care of runaway and homeless youth  in  approved  runaway  programs
which are authorized agencies, provided that such per diem reimbursement
shall not exceed a total of thirty days for any one youth.
  S 6. Paragraph a of subdivision 2 of section 420 of the executive law,
as  amended  by  chapter  182 of the laws of 2002, is amended to read as
follows:
  a. A county may submit to the commissioner a plan for the providing of
services for runaway and homeless youth, as  defined  in  article  nine-
teen-H  of this chapter. Where such county is receiving state aid pursu-
ant to paragraph a of subdivision one of this section, such runaway  and
homeless  youth  plan  shall  be  submitted as part of the comprehensive
county plan and shall be consistent with the goals and objectives there-
in. A runaway and homeless youth plan shall be developed in consultation
with the county youth bureau and the county or city department of social
services, shall be in accordance with the regulations of the commission-
er, shall provide for a coordinated range of services  for  runaway  and
homeless  youth and their families including preventive, temporary shel-
ter, transportation, counseling, and  other  necessary  assistance,  and
shall provide for the coordination of all available county resources for
runaway  and homeless youth and their families including services avail-
able through the county youth bureau, the county or city  department  of
social  services,  local  boards  of  education,  local drug and alcohol
programs and organizations or programs which have past experience  deal-
ing  with  runaway  and homeless youth. Such plan may include provisions
for transitional independent living support programs for homeless  youth
between  the ages of sixteen and [twenty-one] TWENTY-FIVE as provided in
article nineteen-H of this chapter. Such plan shall also provide for the
designation and duties of the runaway and homeless youth service coordi-
nator defined in section five hundred thirty-two-a of this  chapter  who
is  available  on  a  twenty-four  hour  basis and maintains information
concerning available shelter space, transportation  and  services.  Such
plan  may  include provision for the per diem reimbursement for residen-
tial care of runaway and homeless youth  in  approved  runaway  programs
which are authorized agencies, provided that such per diem reimbursement
shall not exceed a total of thirty days for any one youth.
  S 7. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
it shall have become a law, provided, that the amendments to subdivision
6  of  section  532-a  of the executive law, made by section one of this
act, shall not affect the expiration and reversion of  such  subdivision
pursuant  to  section  9 of part G of chapter 57 of the laws of 2013, as
amended, when upon such date section two of this act shall take  effect;
and  provided,  further, that the amendments to subdivision 2 of section
420 of the executive law, made by section five of this  act,  shall  not
affect  the  expiration  and  reversion  of such subdivision pursuant to
section 9 of part G of chapter 57 of the laws of 2013, as amended,  when
upon  such  date  section  six  of this act shall take effect. Provided,
further, that effective immediately the  commissioner  of  children  and
family  services  is  authorized  and  directed  to promulgate any rules
necessary to implement the provisions of this act on its effective  date
on or before such date.