S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2801
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 27, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by 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 well-being program; to amend the state finance law,
   in relation to the child and family well-being 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 WELL-BEING PROGRAM. 1. THE CHILD AND FAMI-
 LY WELL-BEING PROGRAM IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED  AS  A  FLEXIBLE  INNOVATIVE
 STATEWIDE  FUNDING  PROGRAM  TO  SUPPORT  LOCAL  EFFORTS  LED BY SMALLER
 NONPROFIT COMMUNITY-BASED PROVIDERS TO RESPOND TO CHILDREN'S  AND  FAMI-
 LIES'  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 WELL-BEING 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
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05116-01-3
 A. 2801                             2
              

 
 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-
 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 WELL-BEING FUND'S
 CAPACITY-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 WELL-BEING 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  WELL-BE-
 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  WELL-BEING  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
 WELL-BEING  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 WELL-BEING PROGRAM AND DISBURSEMENTS  UNDER  THE
 CHILD AND FAMILY WELL-BEING FUND.
   §  2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 97-aaaa
 to read as follows:
 A. 2801                             3
 
   § 97-AAAA. CHILD AND FAMILY WELL-BEING 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 WELL-BEING FUND.
   2. THE CHILD AND FAMILY WELL-BEING FUND SHALL CONSIST OF MONEYS APPRO-
 PRIATED, CREDITED OR TRANSFERRED THERETO FROM ANY OTHER FUND OR SOURCE.
   3. MONEYS OF THE CHILD AND FAMILY WELL-BEING 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
 WELL-BEING  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  WELL-BEING  PROGRAM
 SHALL  SUBMIT  A  REPORT  TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE BY JANUARY
 THIRTY-FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER DETAILING
 ALL EXPENDITURES MADE FROM THE CHILD AND FAMILY WELL-BEING  FUND  DURING
 THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
   §  3.  This act shall take effect January 1, 2024 and shall expire and
 be deemed repealed January 1, 2029. 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.