NY State Senate Bill 2025-S3913

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 20, 2025	reported and committed to finance
Jan 30, 2025	referred to social services

Votes

- May 20, 2025 - Social Services Committee Vote
  S3913
  
  Aye
  
  6
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  
  0
  - - Social Services Committee Vote: May 20, 2025
      
      aye (6)
      
      Cleare
      
      Kavanagh
      
      Murray
      
      Persaud
      
      Serrano
      
      Weik

co-Sponsors

2025-S3913 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A3553
Current Committee:: Senate Finance
Law Section:: Social Services Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§20-a, 153-k & 421, Soc Serv L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: A8761
2021-2022: A3873
2023-2024: A3446

2025-S3913 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to the caseloads of preventative services caseworkers.

2025-S3913 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S3913

SPONSOR: RYAN S
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the social services law, in relation to caseload stand-
ards for preventative services caseworkers

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To establish a caseload standard for preventative services caseworkers
within local departments of social services.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1: amends section 20-a of the Social Services Law to provide
that such section will not apply to any regulations establishing case-
load standards promulgated pursuant to section 421 of the Social
Services Law.

Section 2: amends 153-k of the social services law to require the state
to pay for 100k of costs associated with compliance of this provision,

however, counties must maintain last year's level of preventative
services funding.

Section 3: amends section 421 of the Social Services Law by adding a new
subdivision 9 to create caseload standards for local social service
district preventative services caseworkers of no more than 12 families
per full-time caseworker.

Section 4: effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In 2006, the Legislature required the Office of Children and Family
Services (OCFS) to commission a report to determine best practices for
caseloads for child protective services, preventative services, and
foster care services employees within local departments of social
services. While the report recommended optimal levels, no law has ever
been enacted to implement these recommendations. Based on this report
and other best practice data from across the country, this legislation
would require OCFS to issue a regulation that would limit caseloads for
full-time preventative service employees within local social service
districts to no more than 12 families.

Data continuously shows that lower caseloads for employees leads to
better outcomes for the children and family they are interacting with as
well as better outcomes for the workforce. Lower caseloads allow a case-
worker to spend more time on each case, provide better assistance to
youths and their families. In addition, it has been shown that high
caseloads are the top preventable reason for the voluntary resignation
of caseworkers in social service departments. This legislation will help
alleviate some of the stress that these caseworkers face on a daily
basis while ensuring families and youths in their care receive the time
and attention that they need.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

None.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the seven hundred thirtieth day after it
shall have become a law

2025-S3913 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3913
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 30, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. S. RYAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to caseload  stand-
   ards for preventative services caseworkers
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 20-a of the social services law, as added by  chap-
 ter 107 of the laws of 1971, is amended to read as follows:
   § 20-a.  Local personnel; limitations on department's power.  Notwith-
 standing  any  inconsistent  provision  of  this chapter, the board, the
 commissioner or the department, acting singly or in  unison,  shall  not
 have  the  power,  directly  or  indirectly  to  prescribe the number of
 persons to be employed in any social  services  district  providing  the
 district  complies  with the minimum federal standards relating thereto.
 PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL  NOT  APPLY
 TO  THE REGULATIONS OF THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES ESTAB-
 LISHING CASELOAD  STANDARDS  FOR  PREVENTATIVE  CASE  PLANNING  SERVICES
 PROMULGATED  PURSUANT  TO SUBDIVISION NINE OF SECTION FOUR HUNDRED TWEN-
 TY-ONE OF THIS CHAPTER.
   § 2. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section  153-k  of  the  social
 services law, as added by section 15 of part C of chapter 83 of the laws
 of 2002, is amended to read as follows:
   (a)  Expenditures  made by social services districts for child protec-
 tive services, preventive services provided, as applicable, to  eligible
 children  and  families  of  children  who are in and out of foster care
 placement, independent living services, aftercare services, and adoption
 administration and  services  other  than  adoption  subsidies  provided
 pursuant  to  article  six  of  this  chapter and the regulations of the
 department of family assistance shall, if  approved  by  the  office  of
 children  and  family  services,  be subject to sixty-five percent state
 reimbursement exclusive of any federal funds  made  available  for  such
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07014-01-5

 S. 3913                             2
 
 purposes,  in accordance with the directives of the department of family
 assistance and subject to the approval of the director  of  the  budget.
 PROVIDED  HOWEVER,  FOR  REQUIREMENTS  PRESCRIBED IN SUBDIVISION NINE OF
 SECTION FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY-ONE OF THIS CHAPTER, SUCH EXPENDITURES SHALL
 BE  SUBJECT  TO  ONE  HUNDRED PERCENT STATE REIMBURSEMENT, PROVIDED THAT
 LOCAL  SOCIAL  SERVICES  DISTRICTS  CONTINUE  TO  MAINTAIN  EXPENDITURES
 RELATED  TO  PREVENTATIVE  CASE PLANNING SERVICES AT A LEVEL EQUAL TO OR
 GREATER THAN EXPENDITURES FOR SUCH ACTIVITY DURING THE FISCAL YEAR IMME-
 DIATELY PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE CHAPTER OF THE  LAWS  OF  TWO
 THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE WHICH AMENDED THIS PARAGRAPH.
   § 3. Section 421 of the social services law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 9 to read as follows:
   9.  PROMULGATE  REGULATIONS IN CONSULTATION WITH LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES
 DISTRICTS, RELATING TO CASELOAD STANDARDS FOR PREVENTATIVE CASE PLANNING
 SERVICES. SUCH STANDARDS SHALL BE NO MORE THAN TWELVE FAMILIES PER FULL-
 TIME PREVENTATIVE CASE PLANNING SERVICES CASEWORKER PER MONTH.   NOTHING
 IN  THIS  SUBDIVISION  SHALL  BE  CONSTRUED  TO PROHIBIT THE OFFICE FROM
 PRESCRIBING LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICTS FROM  ESTABLISHING  CASELOAD
 GUIDELINES THAT ARE LESS THAN WHAT IS REQUIRED IN THIS SUBDIVISION.
   § 4. This act shall take effect two years after it shall have become a
 law;  provided,  however  that  the  amendments  to section 153-k of the
 social services law made by section two of this act shall not affect the
 repeal of such section and shall be deemed repealed therewith.

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Senate Bill S3913

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

Actions

Votes

May 20, 2025 - Social Services Committee Vote

Social Services Committee Vote: May 20, 2025

co-Sponsors

2025-S3913 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S3913 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S3913 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S3913 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

Sean M. Ryan

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

Actions

Votes

co-Sponsors

Robert Jackson

2025-S3913 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S3913 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S3913 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S3913 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments