Assembly Actions -
Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE |
|
---|---|
Mar 27, 2025 |
referred to social services |
Senate Bill S6987
2025-2026 Legislative Session
Sponsored By
(D, WF) 40th Senate District
Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Social Services 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
Actions
co-Sponsors
(D, WF) 31st Senate District
(D) 42nd Senate District
2025-S6987 (ACTIVE) - Details
- See Assembly Version of this Bill:
- A7833
- Current Committee:
- Senate Social Services
- Law Section:
- Social Services Law
- Laws Affected:
- Add §63, Soc Serv L
2025-S6987 (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 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.
2025-S6987 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo
BILL NUMBER: S6987 SPONSOR: HARCKHAM TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the social services law, in relation to providing panic buttons to certain employees of city and county social services districts SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: Section one adds a new section to article 3 of the social services law to require social services districts to provide panic buttons to employ- ees who interact directly with clients in external locations. Section two sets the effective date. JUSTIFICATION: Social workers frequently engage with clients alone in various settings, including clients' homes. These interactions can expose them to poten- tial threats, including verbal and physical confrontations. The American
2025-S6987 (ACTIVE) - 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.
Comments
Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.
Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.
Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.