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Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 17
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to finance
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.
Grants local social services districts access to criminal history information when acting within the scope of their duties under the social services law or the family court act
In Assembly Committee · Children And Families · Sponsor Andrew Hevesi
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S7731
Title of bill
An act to amend the executive law and the social services law, in relation to access to court databases for local social services districts
Purpose
The purpose of this bill is to grant expanded access to the criminal history database maintained by the Department of Criminal Justice Services to local services districts that pursue child protective matters in Family Court.
Summary of provisions
This bill amends the Executive Law in order to grant expanded access to the criminal history database maintained by the Department of Criminal Justice Services to local social services districts, which, among other responsibilities, are tasked with pursuing child protective matters in Family Court. The bill further amends the Social Services Law to mandate that local social services districts conduct criminal background checks, including any arrest history, on any person aged eighteen years or over who resides or is proposed to reside directly with a child or in the same home as a child who is subject of a child protective proceeding.
Justification
To ensure the safety and well-being of children, local social services districts rely on criminal background information throughout the course of a child protective investigation in a variety of instances, including when evaluating the appropriateness of any proposed custodian or residential placement for the child. This information assists local social services district caseworkers, attorneys, and others to make informed recommendations and decisions critical to a child's welfare.
Under current law, local social services districts only have access to information regarding criminal convictions during the investigation of the Statewide Central Register (SCR) report and only for people named in SCR reports or living with the child. Local social services districts do not have access to other important information, such as pending criminal matters involving potential custodians or SCR subjects. Gaining access to a more complete criminal history that includes pending criminal matters and arrest information will allow child protective caseworkers and others to better assess risks to a child and to make appropriate recommendations.
Legislative history
None.
Fiscal implications
Undetermined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.