S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
6987
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
March 27, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. HARCKHAM -- 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 providing panic
buttons to certain employees of city and county social services
districts
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
63 to read as follows:
§ 63. WORKPLACE SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR SOCIAL SERVICES EMPLOYEES. 1.
EVERY CITY OR COUNTY SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT, AS CONSTITUTED BY SECTION
SIXTY-ONE OF THIS TITLE, SHALL BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE A PANIC BUTTON TO
EACH EMPLOYEE WHOSE JOB RESPONSIBILITIES NECESSITATE DIRECT INTERACTION
WITH CLIENTS IN EXTERNAL SETTINGS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO A
CLIENT'S HOME, A HOSPITAL OR MEDICAL FACILITY, A SCHOOL, A CHILDCARE
CENTER, A COMMUNITY CENTER, OR ANOTHER LOCATION WHERE SERVICES ARE
PROVIDED.
2. SUCH PANIC BUTTON SHALL BE A WEARABLE OR MOBILE PHONE-BASED BUTTON.
MOBILE PHONE-BASED PANIC BUTTONS MAY ONLY BE INSTALLED ON EMPLOYER-PRO-
VIDED EQUIPMENT, AND WEARABLE AND MOBILE PHONE-BASED PANIC BUTTONS SHALL
NOT BE USED TO TRACK EMPLOYEE LOCATIONS EXCEPT WHEN THE PANIC BUTTON IS
TRIGGERED. EMPLOYEES SHALL BEAR NO COST FOR THIS EQUIPMENT.
3. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "PANIC BUTTON" SHALL MEAN A PHYS-
ICAL BUTTON THAT WHEN PRESSED IMMEDIATELY CONTACTS THE LOCAL 9-1-1
PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING POINT ("PSAP"), PROVIDES THAT PSAP WITH EMPLOYEE
LOCATION INFORMATION, AND DISPATCHES LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO THAT
LOCATION.
4. THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES
SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE
PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.
§ 2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.