Assembly Bill A4311

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4311
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 4, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. DAVILA -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Social Services
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the social services law, in relation to establishing a
   two generation pilot program to promote  family  stability  and  chil-
   dren's  school  readiness;  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
 335-d to read as follows:
   § 335-D. TWO GENERATION PILOT PROGRAM. 1.  SUBJECT  TO  APPROPRIATION,
 THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE IN
 COOPERATION  WITH  THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY
 SERVICES, THE COMMISSIONER OF MENTAL  HEALTH  AND  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF
 HEALTH  SHALL  ESTABLISH A PILOT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE FAMILY STABILITY AND
 CHILDREN'S  SCHOOL  READINESS  IN  UP  TO  SIX  LOCAL  SOCIAL   SERVICES
 DISTRICTS.  SUCH  PROGRAM,  SUBJECT  TO THE RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE
 COMMISSIONER, SHALL CONSIST OF SERVICES FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN UP TO
 AGE SIX WHO ARE RECIPIENTS OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE. THE COMMISSIONER  SHALL
 SELECT  BY  A COMPETITIVE BID OR REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PROCESS, ORGANIZA-
 TIONS WITH  EXPERTISE  IN  ADULT  EDUCATION  AND  WORKFORCE  PREPARATION
 PROGRAMS,  PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT APPROPRIATE NUTRITION
 AND MEDICAL SERVICES FOR NEW  MOTHERS  AND  YOUNG  CHILDREN,  AND  CHILD
 DEVELOPMENT  PROGRAMS,  INCLUDING  EARLY CARE, EARLY EDUCATION, AND HOME
 VISITING. SUCH SERVICES SHALL BE PROVIDED IN A COORDINATED EFFORT WITH A
 FOCUS ON SERVING  FAMILIES  THROUGH  AN  INTEGRATED,  MULTI-GENERATIONAL
 APPROACH.    NOTHING HEREIN SHALL PROHIBIT ORGANIZATIONS FROM WORKING IN
 JOINT COLLABORATION WHEN DELIVERING SERVICES TO FAMILIES  IN  ACCORDANCE
 WITH THIS SECTION.
   2. SUCH PROGRAM SHALL BE DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE THE FOLLOWING OUTCOMES:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07190-01-5
 A. 4311                             2
              

 
   (A)  INCREASED  FINANCIAL  STABILITY  OF  FAMILIES INCLUDING INCREASED
 EARNING POTENTIAL OF PARENTS;
   (B) IMPROVED SCHOOL READINESS OF CHILDREN;
   (C)  INCREASED ACCESS FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN TO PROGRAMS THAT FOSTER
 HEALTHY PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS; AND
   (D) INCREASED ACCESS FOR ALL FAMILY MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE IN PROGRAMS
 THAT ADDRESS THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH NEEDS OF PARENTS  AND  CHIL-
 DREN.
   3.  SUCH  PROGRAMS  SHALL  BE  FURTHER DESIGNED TO UTILIZE FUNDING FOR
 SERVICES INCLUDING  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO  PERSONALIZED  PARENT  SUPPORT
 SERVICES  AIMED AT MAINTAINING PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT AND OVERCOMING OBSTA-
 CLES TO ACHIEVE PROGRAM OUTCOMES.
   4. EACH ORGANIZATION PARTICIPATING IN THE  PILOT  PROGRAM  ESTABLISHED
 UNDER  THIS  SECTION  SHALL SUBMIT ANNUAL PROJECT DATA PERTAINING TO THE
 NUMBER  OF  CHILDREN  SCREENED  THROUGH  STANDARDIZED  DEVELOPMENTAL  OR
 SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL  SCREENING,  THE  NUMBER OF PARENTS WHO WERE UNEMPLOYED
 PRIOR TO PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM WHO SINCE OBTAINED EMPLOYMENT AS A
 RESULT OF THE PROGRAM, THE NUMBER OF PARENTS WHO INCREASED THEIR  EDUCA-
 TION  LEVEL  AND SPECIFIC CREDENTIALS OBTAINED AND THE NUMBER OF PARENTS
 WHO WERE EMPLOYED AT THE BEGINNING OF THEIR PARTICIPATION IN  THE  PILOT
 PROGRAM,  WHETHER  THEIR  EARNINGS  HAVE  INCREASED AS A RESULT OF THEIR
 PARTICIPATION AND ANY OTHER DATA OR INFORMATION DETERMINED TO  BE  RELE-
 VANT  FOR  THE  UNDERSTANDING,  IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTCOMES OF THE PILOT
 PROGRAM.
   5. THE LOCATIONS OF THE PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS  UNDER  THE  PILOT
 PROGRAM  SHALL  BE  GEOGRAPHICALLY  DISBURSED  THROUGHOUT  THE STATE AND
 DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PUBLIC  ASSISTANCE
 RECIPIENTS  IN  A GIVEN COUNTY, COUNTIES WITH HIGH RATES OF UNEMPLOYMENT
 OR UNDEREMPLOYMENT AND COUNTIES THAT LACK ACCESS TO COMPARABLE SERVICES.
   6. THE DURATION OF A PROJECT UNDERTAKEN BY AN ORGANIZATION PARTICIPAT-
 ING IN THE PILOT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED UNDER  THIS  SECTION  SHALL  BE  AT
 LEAST ONE YEAR AND NO MORE THAN FOUR YEARS.
   7.  THIRTY  MONTHS  AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, AND UPON
 THE CONCLUSION OF THE PILOT PROGRAM, THE COMMISSIONERS  SHALL  SUBMIT  A
 REPORT  TO  THE  GOVERNOR,  THE  TEMPORARY  PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE
 SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY AND THE EARLY CHILDHOOD ADVISORY COUNCIL  ESTAB-
 LISHED  UNDER  SECTION  FOUR  HUNDRED  EIGHTY-THREE-G  OF  THIS CHAPTER,
 ANALYZING THE DATA PROVIDED BY THE PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATION,  AS  WELL
 AS RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON THE OUTCOMES OF THE PILOT PROGRAM.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law and shall expire 5 years  after  such  effective  date
 when upon such date the provisions of this act shall be deemed repealed.