Bill Text: NY A06762 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to creating a hotline for the reporting of various forms of abuse which may jeopardize the health or welfare of any person.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - referred to children and families [A06762 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A06762-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          6762
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                     March 19, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by M. of A. BRONSON -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Children and Families
        AN ACT to amend the social services law and the elder law,  in  relation
          to providing protective services to certain individuals
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Section 473 of the social services law is amended by adding
     2  a new subdivision 9 to read as follows:
     3    9. (a) Within amounts appropriated therefor, the  office  of  children
     4  and  family  services  shall  establish a statewide, toll-free telephone
     5  number (a "hotline") to receive reports consistent with subdivision  one
     6  of  this  section.  The  hotline shall receive reports of allegations of
     7  reportable incidents twenty-four hours per day, seven days a week.   The
     8  hotline shall accept anonymous calls.
     9    (b)  When any allegation that could reasonably constitute a reportable
    10  incident is received by the hotline, the hotline shall accept and  imme-
    11  diately  transmit  notice of the report orally and electronically to any
    12  appropriate state agencies or local social services office.  Whenever  a
    13  telephone  call or electronic transmission to the hotline alleges an act
    14  or circumstances that may constitute a criminal offense or an  immediate
    15  threat  to  an individual's health, safety or welfare, the hotline shall
    16  convey, by the most expedient means available, the information contained
    17  in such call or transmission to the appropriate law  enforcement  agency
    18  or district attorney and, to the extent necessary, the appropriate emer-
    19  gency  responder, and the relevant state agency or local social services
    20  office.
    21    (c) The commissioner is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations
    22  to facilitate the implementation and operation of the hotline, including
    23  but not limited to, procedures for  timely  and  accurate  referrals  to
    24  other  state  agencies  or entities that may have investigative or over-
    25  sight authority regarding reported incidents.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07307-01-9
        A. 6762                             2
     1    § 2. Subdivision 16 of section 202 of the elder law, as added by chap-
     2  ter 455 of the laws of 2016, is amended to read as follows:
     3    16.  to  the  extent appropriations are available, and in consultation
     4  with the office of children and family services, conduct a public educa-
     5  tion campaign that  emphasizes  zero-tolerance  for  elder  abuse.  Such
     6  campaign shall include information about the signs and symptoms of elder
     7  abuse,  identification  of  potential  causes  of elder abuse, resources
     8  available to assist in the prevention of elder  abuse,  where  suspected
     9  elder  abuse can be reported, including, but not limited to, information
    10  regarding the statewide hotline as provided  for  in  paragraph  (a)  of
    11  subdivision  nine  of  section  four hundred seventy-three of the social
    12  services law, contact information  for  programs  offering  services  to
    13  victims of elder abuse such as counseling, and assistance with arranging
    14  personal care and shelter. Such campaign may include, but not be limited
    15  to: printed educational and informational materials; audio, video, elec-
    16  tronic, other media; and public service announcements or advertisements.
    17    § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
    18  it shall have become a law.