Bill Text: NY S07919 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Expands volunteerism by making use of the databases of statewide aging organizations; institutes volunteer certificate programs which train volunteers and individuals in programs to use the volunteers.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO AGING [S07919 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S07919-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          7919

                    IN SENATE

                                     January 3, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Aging

        AN ACT to amend the elder law, in relation to volunteer programs

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Subdivision 7 of section 203 of the elder law is amended to
     2  read as follows:
     3    7.  (a) The director is hereby authorized, within amounts appropriated
     4  therefor, to make grants-in-aid to retired and senior volunteer programs
     5  for the engagement of individuals fifty-five years of  age  or  over  to
     6  serve  as  volunteers  for  the  betterment of their community and them-
     7  selves. Such volunteer activities may include but shall not  be  limited
     8  to  assisting  with the preparation of meals at nutrition sites; leading
     9  activities at child care centers; delivering meals to homebound elderly;
    10  providing telephone reassurance and/or  friendly  visits  to  the  frail
    11  elderly;  tutoring  adults  or children; assisting with services for the
    12  homeless and assisting school districts which request volunteers for the
    13  purpose of notifying a person in parental  relation  to  any  elementary
    14  school  pupil  when such pupil is deemed absent from required attendance
    15  at his or her designated school. The services of these  volunteers  will
    16  be performed in the community where such individuals reside or in nearby
    17  communities. Up to ten percent of such grants-in-aid may be expended for
    18  the  administrative  purposes of such programs, with the approval of the
    19  office. Such grants shall be for a period  of  twelve  months  or  less,
    20  shall  not  be  used  to match other state funds, shall not be used as a
    21  substitute for federal allocations, and shall be made in a manner  which
    22  does not conflict with federal law, rule or regulation pursuant to title
    23  II  of  the  United  States  domestic volunteer services act of nineteen
    24  hundred seventy-three, as amended. Grants may be used to  match  federal
    25  funds,  but  not  as  a  substitute  for  presently required non-federal
    26  shares. Each grantee shall file reports at such time and containing such
    27  information as the office shall require. For the purpose of  administer-
    28  ing  such  grants-in-aid  the office may make such agreements with other
    29  public agencies as are deemed necessary.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04499-01-3
        S. 7919                             2

     1    (b) In addition to the powers and duties contained in subdivision  two
     2  of  this  section,  the  office  is  hereby  authorized  to enter into a
     3  relationship, defined by contract, with one or more statewide  organiza-
     4  tions  for the purpose of establishing a databank of individuals wishing
     5  to  volunteer  their  services to programs that address the needs of the
     6  aging, and to establish, replicate,  or  encourage  the  development  of
     7  training  programs  for  such  volunteers and programs. The office shall
     8  establish guidelines  for  the  use  of  any  such  databank,  including
     9  requirements  concerning  appropriate  data to be entered into the data-
    10  bank, confidentiality, screening, access, correction of  the  data,  and
    11  such  other  requirements as the office, after consultation and with the
    12  advice of the advisory committee for the aging and others, shall  estab-
    13  lish.  The  purpose  of  the training curriculum shall be to train, on a
    14  voluntary basis, volunteers for the tasks they are  interested  in,  and
    15  individuals  in  not-for-profit  organizations  in effectively and effi-
    16  ciently using volunteers. In developing the curriculum  the  office  may
    17  consult  and  work  with individuals and entities with expertise in such
    18  training and development at the state university of  New  York  and  the
    19  city university of New York.
    20    §  2. This act shall take effect immediately, provided that the powers
    21  and duties established in paragraph (b) of subdivision 7 of section  203
    22  of  the  elder  law as added by this act shall be effective on and after
    23  the first of April occurring at least one year after the date  on  which
    24  this act shall have become a law.