S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  7341--A
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 17, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. HEVESI -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on  Children and Families -- reported and referred to the Committee on
   Rules -- Rules Committee discharged, bill amended,  ordered  reprinted
   as amended and recommitted to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the social services law, in relation to allowing for
   child protective services workers to complete certain required  train-
   ing through distance learning methods
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 5 of section 421 of the social
 services law, as amended by chapter 525 of the laws of 2006, is  amended
 to read as follows:
   (b)  promulgate  regulations setting forth training requirements which
 shall specify, among other things, that all persons  hired  by  a  child
 protective  service on or after April first, nineteen hundred eighty-six
 shall have satisfactorily completed a course approved by the  department
 within  the  first  three  months  of employment, in the fundamentals of
 child protection, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT ON OR AFTER APRIL  FIRST,  TWO
 THOUSAND  TWENTY-FOUR,  SUCH  COURSE  MAY  BE  SATISFACTORILY  COMPLETED
 THROUGH DISTANCE LEARNING METHODS WHICH EVINCE THAT ALL PARTICIPANTS ARE
 IN ATTENDANCE FOR THE DURATION OF THE COURSE AND ARE ABLE TO  ASK  QUES-
 TIONS  OF  THE  INSTRUCTOR,  EXCLUDING  THE  ANNUAL  IN SERVICE TRAINING
 REQUIREMENT. Such course shall include at least basic  training  in  the
 principles  and  techniques  of  investigations, including relationships
 with other investigative bodies, legal issues in child  protection,  and
 methods  of remediation, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Such regu-
 lations shall also specify that all persons employed by a child  protec-
 tive  service  on or after December first, two thousand six shall satis-
 factorily complete six hours of annual in service training, beginning in
 their second year of employment. Such annual in service  training  shall
 include,  but is not limited to, review of the protocols for identifica-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10845-03-3
              

 A. 7341--A                          2
 
 tion and investigation of child abuse and maltreatment, any developments
 in legal, treatment and  prevention  issues  in  child  protection,  and
 review  and  analysis  of field experiences of child protective services
 workers.
   §  2.  Subdivision  1  of  section  423  of the social services law is
 amended by adding a new paragraph (f) to read as follows:
   (F) EVERY LOCAL DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES MAY PREPARE  AND  SUBMIT
 TO  THE  COMMISSIONER,  INCLUDING  THE DETERMINATION MENTIONED HEREIN, A
 REQUEST TO FULFILL THE TRAINING REQUIREMENTS, AS SPECIFIED BY  PARAGRAPH
 (B)  OF  SUBDIVISION  FIVE  OF  SECTION  FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY-ONE OF THIS
 TITLE, THROUGH DISTANCE LEARNING METHODS,  UPON  A  DETERMINATION  BY  A
 LOCAL DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES THAT THE USE OF SUCH DISTANCE LEARN-
 ING  METHODS  SHALL  BE BENEFICIAL TO THE PERFORMANCE OF THOSE FUNCTIONS
 ASSIGNED BY THIS TITLE TO THE CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICE, PROVIDED, HOWEV-
 ER, THAT SUCH DISTANCE LEARNING METHODS SHALL NOT BE USED FOR THE ANNUAL
 IN SERVICE TRAINING REQUIREMENT.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.