Assembly Bill A7381

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7381
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 25, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. LUPARDO, HEVESI -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Social Services
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law and the mental hygiene  law,  in
   relation to the 2-1-1 essential community services hotline system
 
   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  article
 9 to read as follows:
 
                                 ARTICLE 9
             2-1-1 ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY SERVICES HOTLINE SYSTEM
 
   SECTION 467. DEFINITIONS.
           467-A. OVERSIGHT  OF  THE  2-1-1  ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY SERVICES
                    HOTLINE SYSTEM.
           467-B. AVAILABILITY AND SCOPE OF INFORMATION.
           467-C. RESPONSIBILITIES OF 2-1-1 CALL CENTERS.
           467-D. REPORTING.
   § 467. DEFINITIONS. AS USED IN THIS ARTICLE:
   1. "2-1-1 ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY  SERVICES  HOTLINE  SYSTEM"  OR  "2-1-1"
 MEANS  THE  THREE  DIGIT PHONE NUMBER DESIGNATED BY THE FEDERAL COMMUNI-
 CATIONS COMMISSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONNECTING INDIVIDUALS  AND  FAMI-
 LIES WITH COMMUNITY RESOURCE AND REFERRAL SERVICES.
   2. "2-1-1 CALL CENTER" MEANS A CENTER RECEIVING CALLS FROM 2-1-1 OPER-
 ATED  BY  2-1-1 NEW YORK, THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION DESIGNATED FOR
 SUCH PURPOSE BY THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION IN TWO THOUSAND TEN.
   3. "COMMUNITY RESOURCE SPECIALIST" MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYED  BY  A
 2-1-1  CALL  CENTER,  WHO  HAS TRAINED IN QUALITY INDICATORS FOR PROFES-
 SIONAL INFORMATION AND REFERRALS  AND  RECEIVED  AN  ACCREDITATION  FROM
 INFORM  USA,  OR  ITS SUCCESSOR ORGANIZATION, TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS WITH
 HELP  FINDING  COMMUNITY  RESOURCES  AND  OTHER  SERVICE-RELATED  NEEDS,

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10867-01-5
              

 A. 7381                             2
 
 INCLUDING  DURING  TIMES OF CRISIS, A NATURAL DISASTER OR OTHER WEATHER-
 RELATED EVENTS.
   §  467-A.  OVERSIGHT OF THE 2-1-1 ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY SERVICES HOTLINE
 SYSTEM. THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES SHALL HAVE  OVERSIGHT
 OF  THE  2-1-1  ESSENTIAL  COMMUNITY  SERVICES  HOTLINE SYSTEM AND SHALL
 DESIGNATE 2-1-1 NEW YORK, THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION DESIGNATED  BY
 THE  PUBLIC  SERVICE  COMMISSION  IN  TWO  THOUSAND TEN, TO OPERATE SUCH
 HOTLINE SYSTEM, WITHIN AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED.
   § 467-B. AVAILABILITY AND SCOPE OF  INFORMATION.  1.  2-1-1  SHALL  BE
 AVAILABLE  STATEWIDE,  TWENTY-FOUR  HOURS  A  DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AND
 SHALL PROVIDE A LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE LINE TO ASSIST LIMITED AND NON-ENGL-
 ISH LANGUAGE SPEAKERS.
   2. COMMUNITY RESOURCE SPECIALISTS SHALL PROVIDE COMMUNITY RESOURCE AND
 REFERRAL INFORMATION FOR AT LEAST THE FOLLOWING SERVICES, AS NEEDED:
   A. BASIC HUMAN NEEDS, SUCH AS FOOD AND CLOTHING BANKS, TEMPORARY HOUS-
 ING ASSISTANCE, INCLUDING EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE, RENT AND UTILITY
 ASSISTANCE, THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE  PROGRAM  (SNAP),  THE
 SPECIAL  SUPPLEMENTAL  NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN
 (WIC) AND OTHER PUBLIC BENEFIT PROGRAMS;
   B. PHYSICAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH RESOURCES, SUCH AS HEALTH  INSURANCE
 PROGRAMS  INCLUDING,  BUT NOT LIMITED TO, MEDICAID, MEDICARE, THE ESSEN-
 TIAL PLAN AND CHILD HEALTH PLUS, MATERNAL HEALTH  RESOURCES,  BEHAVIORAL
 HEALTH  SERVICES,  CRISIS  INTERVENTION  SERVICES  AND,  IF APPROPRIATE,
 TRANSFERRING INDIVIDUALS TO THE 9-8-8 SUICIDE PREVENTION AND  BEHAVIORAL
 HEALTH CRISIS HOTLINE OR THE 9-1-1 EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEM;
   C. WORK SUPPORT, SUCH AS JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS OR EDUCATION AND LITER-
 ACY ASSISTANCE, TAX PREPARATION, AND TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS;
   D.  CHILDREN,  YOUTH  AND FAMILY SUPPORT, INCLUDING CHILD CARE, AFTER-
 SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND SUMMER CAMPS, FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS, MENTORING AND
 CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES;
   E. SUPPORT FOR OLDER ADULTS AND PERSONS WITH  DISABILITIES,  INCLUDING
 COMMUNITY  AND MEDICALLY TAILORED MEALS, RESPITE CARE, HOME HEALTH CARE,
 TRANSPORTATION SERVICES AND ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES; AND
   F. ACCESS SERVICES FOR  LIMITED  AND  NON-ENGLISH  SPEAKERS,  SUCH  AS
 TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION SERVICES.
   §  467-C.  RESPONSIBILITIES  OF 2-1-1 CALL CENTERS. 2-1-1 CALL CENTERS
 SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR:
   1. MAINTAINING AN UP-TO-DATE DATABASE OF PROVIDERS AND SERVICES AVAIL-
 ABLE IN THE COMMUNITY, THAT IS VALIDATED  ANNUALLY  TO  ENSURE  ACCURATE
 INFORMATION;
   2.  ENSURING  INDIVIDUALS  CAN ACCESS 2-1-1 THROUGH VARIOUS PLATFORMS,
 INCLUDING VIA TELEPHONE, TEXT OR THE INTERNET; AND
   3. ACCEPTING CALLS  FROM  AND  COORDINATING  WITH  THE  9-8-8  SUICIDE
 PREVENTION  AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CRISIS HOTLINE AND THE 9-1-1 EMERGENCY
 RESPONSE SYSTEM, AS APPROPRIATE.
   § 467-D. REPORTING. 1. THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES,  IN
 CONSULTATION  WITH  2-1-1 NEW YORK, SHALL ESTABLISH A COMPREHENSIVE LIST
 OF REPORTING METRICS REGARDING THE USE OF 2-1-1,  WHICH  SHALL  INCLUDE,
 BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   A.  THE  TOTAL NUMBER OF REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE STATEWIDE, AS WELL AS
 BY REGION, THAT 2-1-1 CALL CENTERS RECEIVE ANNUALLY;
   B. THE CATEGORIES OF SERVICES AND REFERRALS THAT  ARE  REQUESTED  EACH
 YEAR; AND
   C.  THE  AVERAGE  LENGTH  OF TIME TAKEN TO RESPOND TO EACH REQUEST FOR
 ASSISTANCE AND THE AGGREGATE NUMBER OF CALL ABANDONMENTS FOR THE YEAR.
 A. 7381                             3
 
   2. THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES SHALL COMPILE AN  ANNUAL
 REPORT ON THE DATA COLLECTED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION
 AND SHALL SUBMIT SUCH REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF
 THE  SENATE,  THE  SPEAKER  OF  THE ASSEMBLY, THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE
 SENATE,  AND THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE ASSEMBLY, ANNUALLY, BEGINNING NO
 LATER THAN APRIL FIRST, NEXT  SUCCEEDING  THE  EFFECTIVE  DATE  OF  THIS
 SECTION.
   §  2.  Paragraph  5  of subdivision (c) of section 36.03 of the mental
 hygiene law, as added by section 2 of part EE of chapter 57 of the  laws
 of 2022, is amended to read as follows:
   (5)  A designated hotline center shall ensure coordination between the
 9-8-8 crisis hotline centers, 9-1-1, behavioral health crisis  services,
 THE  2-1-1 ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY SERVICES HOTLINE SYSTEM, and, when appro-
 priate, other specialty behavioral health warm lines  and  hotlines  and
 other  emergency  services.  If  a  law  enforcement,  medical,  or fire
 response is also needed, 9-8-8 and 9-1-1 operators shall coordinate  the
 simultaneous deployment of those services with mobile crisis services.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
 it shall have become a law.