Assembly Bill A861

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    861
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. FORREST, SHIMSKY -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Governmental Operations
 
 AN  ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to services available to
   immigrants residing in certain family and adult shelter facilities

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Paragraphs (n),(o) and (p) of subdivision 5 of section 94-b
 of  the  executive  law, paragraph (n) as amended and paragraphs (o) and
 (p) as added by chapter 625 of the laws of 2024, are amended and  a  new
 paragraph (q) is added to read as follows:
   (n) Beginning in two thousand fifteen, by June fifteenth of each year,
 produce  a  report to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, and the
 temporary president of the  senate  describing  the  activities  of  the
 office, including but not limited to, summarizing calls received through
 the  hotline and website, information on ESOL training services provided
 by the office, the number of immigrants assisted through the opportunity
 centers AND WITHIN SHELTERS, or an estimation  thereof,  INFORMATION  ON
 SERVICES  PROVIDED WITHIN SHELTERS, the status of any workforce develop-
 ment programs, and any other relevant information;
   (o) Encourage the development of and provide for the establishment  of
 a state military immigrant family legacy program liaison, as provided in
 section  twenty-nine-b of the veterans' services law AS ADDED BY CHAPTER
 625 OF THE LAWS OF 2024; [and]
   (p) Request individuals seeking assistance from the office answer  the
 following  questions:  "Have  you served in the United States military?"
 "Has someone in your family  served  in  the  United  States  military?"
 Individuals  identifying  themselves  or  a  family  member as "intended
 recipients" of the staff sergeant Alex R. Jimenez New York  state  mili-
 tary  immigrant  family  legacy program as such term is defined in para-
 graph (e) of subdivision one of section twenty-nine-b of  the  veterans'
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD02121-01-5
 A. 861                              2
 
 services  law  AS  ADDED  BY  CHAPTER  625 OF THE LAWS OF 2024, shall be
 advised of such program. In addition, such individuals shall be informed
 that the department of veterans' services and  local  veterans'  service
 agencies  established  pursuant  to  section  seventeen of the veterans'
 services law provide assistance to uniformed service  members,  veterans
 and  their families regarding benefits available under federal and state
 law. Information regarding veterans  and  military  status  provided  by
 assisted individuals shall be protected as personal confidential materi-
 al,  and used only to identify such individuals as "intended recipients"
 of the staff sergeant Alex R.  Jimenez New York State military immigrant
 family legacy program, and to assist such individuals in matters  relat-
 ing  to  immigration status and citizenship, and in referring such indi-
 viduals to the department  of  veterans'  services  or  local  veterans'
 service  agencies for information and assistance with regard to benefits
 and entitlements under federal and state law[.]; AND
   (Q) SUBJECT TO AVAILABLE APPROPRIATIONS, ESTABLISH A PROGRAM TO DELIV-
 ER COMPREHENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT  SERVICES  TO  IMMIGRANTS  RESIDING  IN
 FAMILY AND ADULT SHELTER FACILITIES OPERATED WITHIN THE STATE BY A LOCAL
 GOVERNMENT  OR PROVIDER UNDER CONTRACT OR SIMILAR AGREEMENT WITH A STATE
 AGENCY OR A LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
   (I) SUCH PROGRAM SHALL CONTRACT WITH ESTABLISHED COMMUNITY-BASED  NOT-
 FOR-PROFIT   CORPORATIONS,  CHARITABLE  ORGANIZATIONS,  OR  WHOLLY-OWNED
 SUBSIDIARIES OF A NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION OR OF A  CHARITABLE  ORGAN-
 IZATION THAT HAS A DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF ASSISTING IMMIGRANT INDIVIDUALS
 AND HAS AT LEAST THREE YEARS EXPERIENCE PROVIDING SERVICES TO SUCH INDI-
 VIDUALS   INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ESOL SERVICES, LEGAL ASSISTANCE
 RELATED TO OBTAINING ASYLUM OR OTHER DOCUMENTED STATUSES, NATURALIZATION
 PROGRAMS, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, AND REFERRAL TO  OTHER  APPRO-
 PRIATE SOCIAL SERVICES AND PROGRAMS.
   (II)  SERVICES  OFFERED  BY  SUCH A PROGRAM SHALL BE WITH THE EXPLICIT
 GOAL OF TRANSITIONING IMMIGRANTS OUT OF SHELTER FACILITIES  INTO  STABLE
 LONG-TERM LIVING ARRANGEMENTS.
   (III) FOR THE PURPOSES OF CARRYING OUT SUCH A PROGRAM, PROVIDERS SHALL
 BE  GIVEN  ACCESS TO SHELTER FACILITIES AND INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE RESIDING
 THEREIN, AS WELL AS ACCESS TO A PERMANENT SPACE WITHIN  OR  ADJACENT  TO
 SUCH FACILITIES WHICH SHALL SERVE AS AN OFFICE AND RESOURCE CENTER.
   (IV)  OPERATORS OF FACILITIES SHALL COLLABORATE WITH CONTRACTED ORGAN-
 IZATIONS AND PRIORITIZE  PROVIDER'S  RECOMMENDATIONS  REGARDING  HOW  TO
 BETTER  INTEGRATE  CASE MANAGEMENT AND SERVICES INTO THEIR CURRENT OPER-
 ATIONS AND SHALL COOPERATE WITH PROVIDERS TO THE MAXIMAL  EXTENT  POSSI-
 BLE.
   §  2.  This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
 if chapter 625 of the laws of 2024 shall not have  taken  effect  on  or
 before  such  date then section one of this act shall take effect on the
 same date and in the same manner as such chapter of  the  laws  of  2024
 takes effect.