Assembly Bill A10274

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10274
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 13, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Hevesi) --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Children and Families
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to establishing the
   child and family wellbeing program; to amend the state finance law, in
   relation to the child and family wellbeing fund; and providing for the
   repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof

   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
 394 to read as follows:
   § 394. THE CHILD AND FAMILY WELLBEING PROGRAM. 1. THE CHILD AND FAMILY
 WELLBEING PROGRAM IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED AS A FLEXIBLE INNOVATIVE  STATE-
 WIDE  FUNDING  PROGRAM TO SUPPORT LOCAL EFFORTS LED BY SMALLER NONPROFIT
 COMMUNITY-BASED PROVIDERS TO RESPOND TO CHILDREN'S AND  FAMILIES'  NEEDS
 IN COMMUNITIES, WITH AVENUES FOR COMMUNITY INPUT AND ACCOUNTABILITY. THE
 PROGRAM  SHALL  FOCUS  ON  FUNDING  PRIMARY PREVENTION AND RESOURCES FOR
 FAMILIES IN COMMUNITIES WITH THE  HIGHEST  LEVELS  OF  CHILD  PROTECTIVE
 INVOLVEMENT IN EACH REGION.
   2. THE PROGRAM SHALL BE OVERSEEN BY AN ADVISORY BOARD MADE UP OF EIGHT
 MEMBERS  TO  BE  APPOINTED  BY THE COMMISSIONER, CONSISTING OF A DIVERSE
 GROUP OF PEOPLE WITH POLICY  EXPERTISE  IN  CHILDREN  AND  FAMILIES  AND
 PEOPLE  WITH  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  CHILD  WELFARE  AND OTHER PUBLIC
 SYSTEMS. ONE BOARD MEMBER SHALL SERVE AS A  FULL-TIME  DIRECTOR,  TO  BE
 DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
   3.  THE  BOARD  SHALL DISBURSE GRANTS TO ELIGIBLE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY-
 BASED PROVIDERS FROM THE CHILD AND  FAMILY  WELLBEING  FUND  ESTABLISHED
 PURSUANT TO SECTION NINETY-SEVEN-AAAA OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW.
   4.  THE BOARD SHALL DETERMINE CRITERIA TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
 TO SMALL NONPROFIT COMMUNITY-BASED PROVIDERS IN ORDER TO  DIVERSIFY  AND
 STRENGTHEN  THE  ARRAY  OF  ORGANIZATIONS  THAT  CAN SUPPORT FAMILIES IN
 COMMUNITIES WITH THE HIGHEST LEVELS  OF  CHILD  PROTECTIVE  INVOLVEMENT,
 INCLUDING:
   (A)  DEVELOPING  A  CONCEPT  PAPER  THROUGH  A PROCESS DESIGNED TO (I)
 ENSURE THAT SMALLER NONPROFIT COMMUNITY-BASED PROVIDERS GROUPS IN COMMU-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD15687-01-2
 A. 10274                            2
 
 NITIES WITH THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF CHILD PROTECTIVE INVOLVEMENT ARE AWARE
 OF THIS PROGRAM, (II) ELICIT GUIDANCE FROM  BOTH  COMMUNITY  GROUPS  AND
 STATE  AND  LOCAL  AGENCIES TO DIRECT RESOURCES TO COMMUNITIES WITH WEAK
 GRASSROOTS  INFRASTRUCTURE  AROUND  FAMILY LIFE AND TO ADDRESS COMMUNITY
 AND FAMILY ISSUES THAT ARE IMPLICATED IN LOCAL CHILD PROTECTIVE INVOLVE-
 MENT, AND (III) ENSURE THAT THE CHILD AND FAMILY WELLBEING FUND'S CAPAC-
 ITY-BUILDING AND LEARNING DESIGN WILL ADDRESS NEEDS.
   (B) DISBURSING GRANTS OF  TWENTY  THOUSAND  TO  TWO  HUNDRED  THOUSAND
 DOLLARS  TO  SMALL  NONPROFIT  COMMUNITY-BASED  PROVIDERS  THAT INCREASE
 ACCESS TO EXISTING RESOURCES;
   (C) ESTABLISH  FOUR  REGIONAL  BACKBONE  NONPROFIT  PARTNERS  TO  WORK
 INCREASE  COMMUNITY CAPACITY THROUGH INVESTMENT IN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE,
 CAPACITY-BUILDING, EVALUATION AND FACILITATION OF A COMMUNITY  OF  PRAC-
 TICE  AMONG  GRANTEES  AND  BUILD  A  FORMAT  FOR  LOCAL INPUT ON GRANTS
 DISTRIBUTED BY THE CHILD AND FAMILY WELLBEING FUND; AND
   (D) PRODUCE ANNUAL PUBLIC REPORTS TO  THE  LEGISLATURE  THAT  IDENTIFY
 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BROAD STRUCTURAL REALIGNMENTS AND INVESTMENTS AT THE
 STATE  AND COUNTY LEVEL TO INCREASE CAPACITIES OF GRASSROOTS, COMMUNITY-
 LED ORGANIZATIONS AROUND ITS PUBLIC HEALTH STRATEGY FOR  FAMILY  WELLBE-
 ING.
   5. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION:
   (A)  "COMMUNITIES WITH THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF CHILD PROTECTIVE INVOLVE-
 MENT" SHALL MEAN COMMUNITIES WITH ZIP CODES WITH  THE  HIGHEST  INVESTI-
 GATION AND CHILD REMOVAL RATES.
   (B)  "SMALLER  NONPROFIT  COMMUNITY-BASED  PROVIDERS" SHALL MEAN LOCAL
 ORGANIZATIONS WITH BUDGETS UNDER TWO MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY WHO  OFFER
 VOLUNTARY  NETWORKS OF CARE THROUGH SERVICES OR RESOURCES TO FAMILIES OR
 PARENTS THAT ARE NOT DUPLICATIVE  OF  EXISTING  FUNDING  STREAMS  AROUND
 PREVENTION  SERVICES, MENTAL HEALTH, AND/OR THAT ENHANCE THE CAPACITY OF
 A COMMUNITY TO ACCESS EXISTING RESOURCES, SUCH  AS  THROUGH  TRANSPORTA-
 TION,  CASH  RESOURCES, PEER NAVIGATORS, HOME-BASED SUPPORTS, OR OPENING
 OF A SATELLITE SITE; THAT AFFIRMATIVELY ADDRESS  LOCAL  RACIAL  DISPARI-
 TIES;  COMMUNITY-BASED  ORGANIZATIONS WITH A RECORD OF PROVIDING QUALITY
 SERVICES TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES  IN  SUCH  COMMUNITIES,  INCLUDING  BY
 FAMILIES  IMPACTED  BY  CHILD  PROTECTIVE  SERVICES; HAVE A DEMONSTRATED
 CAPACITY TO VOLUNTARILY ENGAGE FAMILIES; AND HAVE DEVELOPED  A  PROPOSAL
 TO  MEET  SPECIFIC LOCAL NEEDS ASSOCIATED WITH CHILD PROTECTIVE INVOLVE-
 MENT.
   (C) "REGIONAL BACKBONE ORGANIZATION" SHALL MEAN  ONE  OF  UP  TO  FOUR
 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO ACT AS REGIONAL COORDINATORS OF THE CHILD AND
 FAMILY  WELLBEING  FUND  WORKING  TO INCREASE COMMUNITY CAPACITY THROUGH
 INVESTMENT IN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE,  CAPACITY-BUILDING,  EVALUATION  AND
 FACILITATION  OF  A  COMMUNITY  OF  PRACTICE  AMONG GRANTEES AND BUILD A
 FORMAT FOR LOCAL INPUT ON GRANTS DISTRIBUTED BY  THE  CHILD  AND  FAMILY
 WELLBEING  FUND.  THE  REGIONAL  BACKBONE  ORGANIZATION  SHALL  NOT HAVE
 CONCURRENT SERVICE CONTRACTS WITH LOCAL DEPARTMENTS OF  SOCIAL  SERVICES
 WITHIN THEIR REGION.
   6.  THE BOARD SHALL ANNUALLY REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE ON THE PROGRESS
 OF THE CHILD AND FAMILY WELLBEING PROGRAM AND  DISBURSEMENTS  UNDER  THE
 CHILD AND FAMILY WELLBEING FUND.
   §  2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 97-aaaa
 to read as follows:
   § 97-AAAA. CHILD AND FAMILY WELLBEING FUND. 1. THERE IS HEREBY  ESTAB-
 LISHED IN THE JOINT CUSTODY OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER AND THE COMMISSION-
 ER  OF  TAXATION  AND  FINANCE A SPECIAL REVENUE FUND TO BE KNOWN AS THE
 CHILD AND FAMILY WELLBEING FUND.
 A. 10274                            3
 
   2. THE CHILD AND FAMILY WELLBEING FUND SHALL CONSIST OF MONEYS  APPRO-
 PRIATED, CREDITED OR TRANSFERRED THERETO FROM ANY OTHER FUND OR SOURCE.
   3.  MONEYS OF THE CHILD AND FAMILY WELLBEING FUND, FOLLOWING APPROPRI-
 ATION BY THE LEGISLATURE AND ALLOCATION BY THE DIRECTOR OF  THE  BUDGET,
 SHALL  BE  MADE AVAILABLE TO THE ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE CHILD AND FAMILY
 WELLBEING PROGRAM FOR GRANTS TO NONPROFIT COMMUNITY-BASED  PROVIDERS  TO
 RESPOND  TO  CHILDREN'S  AND  FAMILIES'  NEEDS IN CERTAIN COMMUNITIES AS
 ESTABLISHED BY SECTION THREE HUNDRED NINETY-FOUR OF THE SOCIAL  SERVICES
 LAW.
   4. THE ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE CHILD AND FAMILY WELLBEING PROGRAM SHALL
 SUBMIT  A  REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE BY JANUARY THIRTY-
 FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR AND ANNUALLY  THEREAFTER  DETAILING  ALL
 EXPENDITURES  MADE  FROM  THE CHILD AND FAMILY WELLBEING FUND DURING THE
 PREVIOUS YEAR.
   § 3. This act shall take effect January 1, 2023 and shall  expire  and
 be deemed repealed January 1, 2028. Effective immediately, the addition,
 amendment  and/or  repeal  of  any  rule or regulation necessary for the
 implementation of this act on its effective date are  authorized  to  be
 made and completed on or before such effective date.