The New York State Senate

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4524
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 4, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  WALKER, JEAN-PIERRE, COLTON -- read once and
   referred to the Committee on Children and Families
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to requiring social
   services districts to maintain a  waiting  list  of  certain  families
   applying for child care assistance

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 410-z of the  social  services  law,  as  added  by
 section  52  of part B of chapter 436 of the laws of 1997, is amended to
 read as follows:
   § 410-z. Reporting requirements.  1.  Each  social  services  district
 shall  collect  and  submit  to  the [department] OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND
 FAMILY SERVICES, in such form and at such times as    specified  by  the
 [department]  OFFICE  OF  CHILDREN  AND  FAMILY  SERVICES, such data and
 information regarding child  care assistance provided  under  the  block
 grant  as  the  [department]  OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES may
 need to comply with federal reporting requirements.
   2.  (A) EACH SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT SHALL MAINTAIN A WAITING LIST OF
 ELIGIBLE FAMILIES WHO HAVE APPLIED FOR CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE PURSUANT TO
 THIS TITLE AND WHO HAVE NOT RECEIVED SUCH ASSISTANCE. SUCH WAITING  LIST
 SHALL CONTAIN INFORMATION INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
   (I) THE DATE THE CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE WAS REQUESTED;
   (II) THE DATE THE CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE WAS RECEIVED;
   (III) THE AGE OF THE CHILD OR CHILDREN THE ASSISTANCE WAS REQUESTED ON
 BEHALF OF; AND
   (IV) THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FAMILIES ON SUCH WAITING LIST AS OF THE FIRST
 DAY OF EACH MONTH.
   (B)  EACH  DISTRICT SHALL ISSUE A REPORT TO THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND
 FAMILY SERVICES BY OCTOBER FIFTEENTH,  TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-THREE,  AND
 ANNUALLY THEREAFTER DETAILING MONTH-TO-MONTH INFORMATION REQUIRED PURSU-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07693-01-1

 A. 4524                             2
 
 ANT  TO  THIS  SUBDIVISION  FOR  THE  PRECEDING  PERIOD OF OCTOBER FIRST
 THROUGH SEPTEMBER THIRTIETH, AND SHALL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
   (I) THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF TIME FOR FAMILIES ON THE WAITING LIST;
   (II)  THE  NUMBER  OF  FAMILIES  ON  THE  WAITING LIST FOR EACH OF THE
 FOLLOWING TIME PERIODS:
   (A) LESS THAN TWO WEEKS,
   (B) TWO WEEKS TO LESS THAN A MONTH,
   (C) ONE MONTH TO LESS THAN THREE MONTHS,
   (D) THREE MONTHS TO LESS THAN SIX MONTHS,
   (E) SIX MONTHS TO LESS THAN A YEAR, AND
   (F) ONE YEAR OR MORE;
   (III) THE AVERAGE AGE OF CHILDREN REPRESENTED ON THE WAITING LIST;
   (IV) THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN REPRESENTED ON THE WAITING  LIST  ELIGIBLE
 FOR EACH:
   (A) INFANT,
   (B) TODDLER,
   (C) PRE-SCHOOL, AND
   (D) SCHOOL-AGED SUBSIDIZED CHILD CARE SLOTS; AND
   (V) THE NUMBER OF EXISTING INFANT, TODDLER, PRE-SCHOOL AND SCHOOL-AGED
 SUBSIDIZED CHILD CARE SLOTS;
   (VI)  THE  NUMBER  OF FAMILIES WHO WOULD RECEIVE CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE
 EXCEPT THAT THEY ARE WAITING FOR AVAILABLE SLOTS IN A  PARTICULAR  CHILD
 CARE PROGRAM; AND
   (VII) OTHER INFORMATION AS THE DISTRICT DEEMS APPROPRIATE.
   3.  (A) EACH SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT SHALL COLLECT DATA REGARDING THE
 INCOME OF FAMILIES WHO APPLIED FOR CHILD  CARE  ASSISTANCE  PURSUANT  TO
 THIS TITLE, SPECIFYING:
   (I) THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES WHO WERE DENIED;
   (II) THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES WHO RECEIVED SUCH ASSISTANCE; AND
   (III)  A  LISTING  OF  THE  INCOMES  PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS
 SUBDIVISION OF THE FAMILIES WHO APPLIED FOR SUCH ASSISTANCE.
   (B) EACH DISTRICT SHALL ISSUE A REPORT TO THE OFFICE OF  CHILDREN  AND
 FAMILY  SERVICES  BY  OCTOBER  FIFTEENTH, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-THREE, AND
 ANNUALLY  THEREAFTER,  DETAILING  MONTH-TO-MONTH  INFORMATION  COLLECTED
 PURSUANT  TO  THIS SUBDIVISION FOR THE PRECEDING PERIOD OF OCTOBER FIRST
 THROUGH SEPTEMBER THIRTIETH, AND SHALL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
   (I) THE NUMBER OF ALL FAMILIES WHO APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED CHILD CARE
 ASSISTANCE PURSUANT TO THIS TITLE WHOSE:
   (A) INCOMES WERE UNDER ONE HUNDRED ONE PERCENT OF THE FEDERAL  POVERTY
 LEVEL FOR THEIR FAMILY SIZE,
   (B) INCOMES WERE BETWEEN ONE HUNDRED ONE PERCENT AND ONE HUNDRED FIFTY
 PERCENT OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL FOR THEIR FAMILY SIZE, AND
   (C) INCOMES WERE BETWEEN ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-ONE PERCENT AND TWO HUNDRED
 PERCENT OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL FOR THEIR FAMILY SIZE; AND
   (II)  THE NUMBER OF ALL FAMILIES WHO APPLIED FOR AND WERE DENIED CHILD
 CARE ASSISTANCE PURSUANT TO THIS TITLE WHOSE:
   (A) INCOMES WERE UNDER ONE HUNDRED ONE PERCENT OF THE FEDERAL  POVERTY
 LEVEL FOR THEIR FAMILY SIZE,
   (B) INCOMES WERE BETWEEN ONE HUNDRED ONE PERCENT AND ONE HUNDRED FIFTY
 PERCENT OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL FOR THEIR FAMILY SIZE, AND
   (C) INCOMES WERE BETWEEN ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-ONE PERCENT AND TWO HUNDRED
 PERCENT OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL FOR THEIR FAMILY SIZE.
   4.  THE  OFFICE  OF  CHILDREN  AND  FAMILY SERVICES SHALL COMPILE SUCH
 REPORTS PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (B) OF SUBDIVISION TWO, AND PARAGRAPH  (B)
 OF  SUBDIVISION  THREE  OF  THIS  SECTION, INTO ONE COMPREHENSIVE REPORT
 CONTAINING ALL REQUIRED INFORMATION ON A COUNTY BY  COUNTY  BASIS.  SUCH

 A. 4524                             3
 
 REPORT  SHALL  BE PROVIDED TO THE GOVERNOR, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY,
 THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE CHAIRPERSON OF  THE  ASSEMBLY
 COMMITTEE  ON  CHILDREN  AND  FAMILIES,  THE  CHAIRPERSON  OF THE SENATE
 COMMITTEE  ON  CHILDREN  AND  FAMILIES,  THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE ASSEMBLY
 COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL SERVICES, THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON
 SOCIAL SERVICES, THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE ASSEMBLY WAYS AND MEANS  COMMIT-
 TEE  AND  THE  CHAIRPERSON OF THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE NO LATER THAN
 DECEMBER FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-THREE, AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER.
   § 2. Nothing in this act shall be construed to  require  local  social
 services  districts  to  maintain  waiting lists for dates preceding the
 effective date of this act, or to collect data pursuant to subdivision 3
 of section 410-z of the social services law, as added by section one  of
 this act, for persons who applied for subsidized child care prior to the
 effective date of this act.
   § 3. This act shall take effect October 1, 2022.  Effective immediate-
 ly,  the  addition,  amendment  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation
 necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective  date  are
 authorized  and  directed  to  be  made  and completed on or before such
 effective date.