Senate Bill S10682

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10682
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              August 14, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. BOTTCHER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law,  in  relation  to  establishing
   multidisciplinary personnel teams
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Article 3 of the social services law is amended by adding a
 new title 7-A to read as follows:
                                 TITLE 7-A
                     MULTIDISCIPLINARY PERSONNEL TEAMS
 SECTION 115-D. FINDINGS AND DECLARATIONS.
         115-E. DEFINITIONS.
         115-F. AUTHORIZATION TO  ESTABLISH  MULTIDISCIPLINARY  PERSONNEL
                  TEAMS.
         115-G. INFORMATION SHARING AND CONFIDENTIALITY.
         115-H. PROTOCOLS FOR INFORMATION SHARING AND OVERSIGHT.
         115-I. PROTECTIONS AND REMEDIES.
         115-J. SEVERABILITY.
   §  115-D.  FINDINGS  AND  DECLARATIONS.  1. THE LEGISLATURE FINDS THAT
 HOMELESSNESS POSES A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE TO THE  HEALTH,  SAFETY,  AND
 WELFARE OF INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN NEW YORK STATE.
   2.  PROMPT, COORDINATED, AND CONFIDENTIAL SHARING OF INFORMATION AMONG
 PROFESSIONALS IS ESSENTIAL TO  ENSURING  THE  EFFECTIVE  IDENTIFICATION,
 ASSESSMENT, AND DELIVERY OF HOUSING AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.
   3.  IT  IS  HEREBY  DECLARED  THAT  MULTIDISCIPLINARY PERSONNEL TEAMS,
 COMPOSED OF APPROPRIATELY TRAINED PROFESSIONALS, MUST  BE  EMPOWERED  TO
 SHARE  CONFIDENTIAL  INFORMATION FOR THESE PURPOSES, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY
 OTHER PROVISION OF LAW.
   § 115-E. DEFINITIONS. AS USED IN THIS TITLE, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL
 HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   1. "MULTIDISCIPLINARY PERSONNEL TEAM" MEANS ANY TEAM OF  TWO  OR  MORE
 PROFESSIONALS  TRAINED IN THE IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT, AND LINKAGE OF
 HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES TO HOUSING  AND  SUPPORTIVE  SERVICES.
 SUCH TEAM MAY INCLUDE, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD16256-01-6
 S. 10682                            2
 
   (A)  HEALTH  CARE  PROVIDERS,  AS  DEFINED  IN SECTION EIGHTEEN OF THE
 PUBLIC HEALTH LAW;
   (B) REPRESENTATIVES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OR PROBATION AGENCIES;
   (C) LEGAL COUNSEL;
   (D) SOCIAL SERVICES WORKERS;
   (E) CASE MANAGERS OR COORDINATORS;
   (F) VETERANS SERVICES PROVIDERS;
   (G) REPRESENTATIVES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS;
   (H) SCHOOL PERSONNEL, INCLUDING TEACHERS OR ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS;
   (I) HOUSING OR HOMELESS SERVICES REPRESENTATIVES; AND
   (J) DATA ANALYSTS.
   2.  "CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION" MEANS ANY INFORMATION, WHETHER IN WRIT-
 ING, ELECTRONICALLY, OR OTHERWISE, THAT IS  DESIGNATED  AS  CONFIDENTIAL
 UNDER  STATE  OR  FEDERAL  LAW OR THAT IS EXCHANGED DURING TEAM COMMUNI-
 CATIONS AND MEETINGS AND WHICH IS PROTECTED FROM DISCLOSURE.
   3. "HOMELESS" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING  AS  SET  FORTH  IN  SECTION
 FORTY-NINE OF THIS CHAPTER.
   § 115-F. AUTHORIZATION TO ESTABLISH MULTIDISCIPLINARY PERSONNEL TEAMS.
 1.  NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER LAW, ANY (A) COUNTY OUTSIDE OF A CITY WITH
 A POPULATION OF ONE MILLION OR MORE PERSONS IN THE  STATE  OR  (B)  CITY
 WITH  A  POPULATION  OF  ONE  MILLION  OR MORE PERSONS IN THE STATE, MAY
 ESTABLISH OR APPROVE A MULTIDISCIPLINARY PERSONNEL TEAM WITH THE PURPOSE
 OF EXPEDITING THE IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT, AND  LINKAGE  OF  HOMELESS
 INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES TO APPROPRIATE HOUSING AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.
   2. IN ANY COUNTY WHERE SUCH TEAM IS ESTABLISHED, IF A CITY WITHIN SUCH
 COUNTY  REQUESTS  PARTICIPATION, THE COUNTY SHALL ALLOW APPROPRIATE CITY
 PERSONNEL TO JOIN THE TEAM, EXCEPT WHERE SUCH PARTICIPATION WOULD  MATE-
 RIALLY HINDER THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE TEAM'S OBJECTIVES.
   §  115-G.  INFORMATION SHARING AND CONFIDENTIALITY. 1. ANY MEMBER OF A
 MULTIDISCIPLINARY PERSONNEL TEAM IS AUTHORIZED TO DISCLOSE AND  EXCHANGE
 CONFIDENTIAL  INFORMATION  WITH OTHER TEAM MEMBERS FOR PURPOSES OF IDEN-
 TIFICATION, ASSESSMENT, AND LINKAGE OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES
 TO HOUSING AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION OF  LAW
 TO THE CONTRARY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SECTION SIXTY-FIVE HUNDRED
 THIRTY OF THE EDUCATION LAW.
   2.  A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER'S USE AND DISCLOSURE OF CONFIDENTIAL INFOR-
 MATION FOR PURPOSES OF IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT, AND LINKAGE OF  HOME-
 LESS  INDIVIDUALS  AND FAMILIES TO HOUSING AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES SHALL
 BE TREATED AS PART OF THE HEALTH CARE  PROVIDER'S  TREATMENT  ACTIVITIES
 UNDER APPLICABLE LAW.
   3.  ANY CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION SHARED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL
 BE TREATED AS STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. DISCUSSIONS  AND  RECORDS  OF  SUCH
 COMMUNICATIONS  SHALL  NOT  BE  ADMISSIBLE  AS EVIDENCE IN ANY JUDICIAL,
 ADMINISTRATIVE, OR OTHER LEGAL PROCEEDING.
   4. DISCLOSURE AND EXCHANGE OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION MAY  OCCUR  VIA
 TELEPHONIC,  ELECTRONIC, OR IN-PERSON COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING THROUGH A
 DATA SHARING PLATFORM THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL MEMBERS OF A MULTIDISCI-
 PLINARY PERSONNEL TEAM, PROVIDED THAT REASONABLE MEASURES ARE  TAKEN  TO
 VERIFY THE IDENTITY OF THE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED.
   §  115-H.  PROTOCOLS  FOR  INFORMATION  SHARING AND OVERSIGHT. 1. EACH
 MULTIDISCIPLINARY PERSONNEL TEAM SHALL DEVELOP  WRITTEN  PROTOCOLS  THAT
 INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, PROVISIONS FOR:
   (A)  IDENTIFYING  THE  SPECIFIC  INFORMATION  OR  DATA  ELEMENTS TO BE
 SHARED, WHICH SHALL BE REASONABLY LIMITED TO THAT WHICH IS NECESSARY  TO
 SUPPORT THE IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT, AND LINKAGE OF HOMELESS INDIVID-
 UALS AND FAMILIES TO HOUSING AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES;
 S. 10682                            3
 
   (B)  DETERMINING WHICH AGENCIES AND PERSONNEL ARE AUTHORIZED TO ACCESS
 SUCH INFORMATION;
   (C)  DESCRIBING  THE  SECURE  METHODS  BY  WHICH  INFORMATION IS TO BE
 EXCHANGED, AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL,  AND  PHYSICAL  SAFEGUARDS
 THAT SHALL BE IMPLEMENTED;
   (D) ESTABLISHING AN INFORMATION RETENTION AND DISPOSAL SCHEDULE; AND
   (E)  PROVIDING  FOR  UNIFORM,  WRITTEN  CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS AND
 ONGOING SECURITY AND PRIVACY TRAINING FOR ALL TEAM PARTICIPANTS.
   2. THE PROTOCOLS SHALL  BE  DISTRIBUTED  TO  EACH  PARTICIPATING  TEAM
 MEMBER AND MADE AVAILABLE TO THE DEPARTMENT.
   3.  THE  ADOPTION  AND  PERIODIC  REVISION OF SUCH PROTOCOLS SHALL NOT
 REQUIRE THE PRIOR APPROVAL OF ANY STATE AGENCY AND SHALL BE  SUBJECT  TO
 COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE AND FEDERAL LAW.
   §  115-I. PROTECTIONS AND REMEDIES. 1. ANY DISCLOSURE OR USE OF CONFI-
 DENTIAL INFORMATION IN VIOLATION OF THIS TITLE SHALL BE SUBJECT  TO  ALL
 AVAILABLE LEGAL REMEDIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, CIVIL PENALTIES
 AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF.
   2.  EXCEPT  AS  EXPRESSLY  PROVIDED HEREIN, NO PROVISION OF THIS TITLE
 SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO DIMINISH OR MODIFY THE RIGHTS OR OBLIGATIONS UNDER
 ANY OTHER LAW GOVERNING THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION.
   § 115-J. SEVERABILITY. IF ANY CLAUSE, SENTENCE, PARAGRAPH, SECTION  OR
 PART OF THIS TITLE SHALL BE ADJUDGED BY ANY COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDIC-
 TION  TO  BE INVALID, SUCH JUDGMENT SHALL NOT AFFECT, IMPAIR, OR INVALI-
 DATE THE REMAINDER THEREOF, BUT SHALL BE CONFINED IN  ITS  OPERATION  TO
 THE  CLAUSE,  SENTENCE,  PARAGRAPH,  SECTION,  OR  PART THEREOF DIRECTLY
 INVOLVED IN THE CONTROVERSY IN  WHICH  SUCH  JUDGMENT  SHALL  HAVE  BEEN
 RENDERED.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.