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Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- 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.
Expands the duties of the office of children and family services concerning lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender runaway and homeless youth
In Assembly Committee · Children And Families · Sponsor Felix Ortiz
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S6615
Title of bill
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to expanding the duties of the office of children and family services concerning lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender runaway and homeless youth
Purpose or general idea of bill
Requires that all employees of programs and organizations' providing care to runaway and/or homeless youth complete training providing instruction in issues pertaining to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1. Section 532-e of the executive law is amended by adding a new subdivision 7, requiring all employees of approved programs providing care to runaway and/or homeless youth to complete training as set forth in regulations promulgated by OCFS. The training must place particular emphasis on appropriate terminology, particular challenges for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth, ways to address homophobia from other youth at the shelter, confidentiality, and how to properly address the families of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth.
Section 2 is the effective date.
Justification
The enactment of this bill would ensure that all employees of approved programs providing care to homeless youth in New York State would receive adequate and comprehensive training to allow them to be more sensitive to issues specifically affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender runaway and/or homeless youth.
According to the Center for American Progress, between 20-40% of runaway and/or homeless youth in the United States are LGBT, as compared to only 5- 10% of the overall youth population. Often, LGBT youth find themselves homeless because their parents do not accept their sexual or gender. orientation and throw them out of the house. This rejection from their. families leads LGBT runaway and/or homeless youth to experience increased social and personal problems, including dramatically increased rates of alcohol abuse and suicide attempts. LGBT youth are also much more likely to drop out of school due to discrimination. 86% of LGBT youth report being verbally bullied and harassed at school due to their sexual orientation. The average age that a lesbian or gay youth becomes homeless in New York is 14.4 years old, while the average age a transgender youth becomes homeless in New York is 13.5 years old.
Runaway and/or homeless LGBT youth are also disproportionately likely to suffer physical and mental abuse. 58% of runaway and/or homeless LGBT youth report being assaulted, compared to 33% of heterosexual runaway and/or homeless youth. 44% of runaway and/or homeless LGBT youth have been asked to exchange sex for money, food, drugs, shelter,
or clothes, as compared to only 26% of heterosexual runaway/homeless youth.
New York facilities providing care to homeless youth must do a better job accounting for the needs and issues of a critical segment of the runaway and/or homeless population. This bill would require all employees of approved programs providing care to runaway and/or homeless youth to complete training with instruction on the needs and issues of this community, with particular. emphasis on the correct terminology to use when talking about gender and sexual identity; addressing homophobia and transphobia from other youth in shelters; and how to deal with the families of LGBT youths.
Prior legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date upon which it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.