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History
- Referred to children and families
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to children and families
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 62–0
- Amended on third reading (t) 3306b
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.405
- Print number 3306a
- Amend (t) and recommit to children and families
Show 1 earlier action
- Referred to children and families
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Requires investigating officials to investigate the homes of adults about whom reports have been filed
In Assembly Committee · Children And Families · Sponsor William Scarborough
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S3306B
Title of bill
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to investigations of the homes of adults about whom reports have been filed and requiring officials to obtain a supervisor's approval or otherwise requiring application for a court order allowing access to the home; and to amend the penal law, in relation to criminalizing the act of denying access to an individual who is the subject of a report to child or adult protective services
Purpose
This bill would ensure that reports of serious abuse of children or of impaired adults are fully investigated including entry to the home and that those individuals who interfere with such a lawful investigation will be guilty of a class A misdemeanor. This legislation also ensures that Child and Adult protective services can share important information about reports of abuse and other relevant records.
Read the full memo (603 words)
Summary of provisions
Section 1 Short Title - "This Act shall be known as the "Laura Cummings Law" section 473-c of the social services law is amended to require that when a report of abuse of an impaired individual is received, the case worker shall immediately discuss the matter with a Supervisor as well as the appropriate county legal counsel. If any decision not to seek a court order for entry, the rationale shall be recorded in writing and included in the case file. This section is not applicable to cities of 1 million or more.
Section 422 of the Social Services Law is amended to allow the sharing of information in cases of suspected abuse between adult and child protective services if there is reasonable cause to believe that that adult is in need of protective services and may have been the subject of a child protective order within the last five years.
Section 195.05 of the penal law is amended to include denying or attempting to deny access to a potential victim with intent to conceal abuse under the list of offenses that are defined as obstructing governmental administration in the second degree, punishable by a class A misdemeanor
Statement in support
In January of 2010 the life of 23 year old Laura Cummings came to a tragic end when she was smothered to death by her own mother. Laura had endured years of physical, sexual and mental abuse and criminal neglect at the hands of her family. This case would be heartbreaking under any circumstances, but is made much worse by the fact that child and adult protective services could have saved her life and ended her suffering if they had responded appropriately. This
legislation seeks to honor Laura's memory by ensuring that these same mistakes are never made again and that those that fail to cooperate with an investigation are held accountable. By requiring that adult protective services be required to meet the same standards for seeking a court order and documenting the process as child protective services currently follows. The bill also seeks to assure that in the investigation phase, information regarding abuse is shared between child and adult protective services. Lastly, the bill seeks to punish individuals who deny access to a child or adult or interfere during an investigation of abuse with a class A misdemeanor.
Children and impaired adults are some of our state's most vulnerable citizens and this bill seeks to offer them the maximum protections possible against any who might abuse them, and to ensure that government agencies act in time to save others who may find themselves in the same situation as Laura Cummings.
Legislative history
This is a new bill.
Fiscal impact
None.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.