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Senate Bill S6987A

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to workplace safety equipment for social services employees

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Social Services Committee

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Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2025-S6987 - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Social Services
Law Section:
Social Services Law
Laws Affected:
Add §63, Soc Serv L

2025-S6987 - Summary

Requires every city or county social services district to provide a wearable or mobile phone-based panic button to each employee whose job responsibilities necessitate direct interaction with clients in a client's home.

2025-S6987 - Sponsor Memo

2025-S6987 - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     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.

co-Sponsors

2025-S6987A (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Social Services
Law Section:
Social Services Law
Laws Affected:
Add §63, Soc Serv L

2025-S6987A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires every city or county social services district to provide a wearable or mobile phone-based panic button to each employee whose job responsibilities necessitate direct interaction with clients in a client's home.

2025-S6987A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S6987A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  6987--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 27, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. HARCKHAM, JACKSON, SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered
   printed,  and  when printed to be committed to the Committee on Social
   Services -- recommitted to the Committee on Social Services in accord-
   ance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended,
   ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

 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 A CLIENT'S HOME.
   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  OR  VIRTUAL  BUTTON  THAT  WHEN ACTIVATED IMMEDIATELY INITIATES AN
 EMERGENCY RESPONSE BY CONTACTING EITHER THE LOCAL  9-1-1  PUBLIC  SAFETY
 ANSWERING  POINT  ("PSAP") OR A DEDICATED MONITORING OR SECURITY SERVICE
 THAT IS CAPABLE OF PROMPTLY NOTIFYING THE PSAP. SUCH PANIC BUTTON  SHALL
 PROVIDE  EMPLOYEE  LOCATION  INFORMATION,  AND RESULT IN THE DISPATCH OF
 LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OR EMERGENCY SERVICES TO THE EMPLOYEE'S LOCATION.
   4. EVERY CITY OR COUNTY SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT SHALL DEVELOP A  PLAN
 TO ENSURE THAT EMPLOYEES WORKING IN AREAS WHERE PANIC BUTTON FUNCTIONAL-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11369-03-5

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