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Who cares
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Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Recommitted to rules
- Ordered to third reading cal.850
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Referred to health
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.
Relates to care and protection of children
In Assembly Committee · Children And Families · Sponsor Michael Simanowitz
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, the social services law and the family court act, in relation to care and protection of children
Purpose
The bill establishes a means by which the state can monitor and provide assistance to mothers and infants who are born dependent or addicted to illicit drugs.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends the public health law by adding a new category and definition for "children at risk".
Section 2 amends the public health law adding a new provision directing the commissioner to create services and a monitoring program for mothers who give, birth to "children at risk" as defined in Section 1 and directs the Office of Children and Family Services to be notified in the event that a mother is non-compliant in her monitoring program.
Section 3 expands the public health law to include "children at risk" as a category which should be referred to early intervention services.
Section 4 amends the social services law by expanding the definition of "neglected child".
Section 5 amends the Family Court Act by expanding the definition of "neglected child".
Justification
Since 2003, the number of drug-dependent babies has skyrocketed, with estimates that infants dependent on opioids are born in the US every 19 minutes. This epidemic in infant opioid dependency spurred Congress to pass the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act. The act mandated states to report drug-dependent babies born to child protective service agencies. New York is among the many states that lack provisions to enforce this statute and find themselves to be non-compliant. This bill aligns New York to be in compliance with federal law and safeguard the lives of thousands of newborns across the state with the following provisions:
1- Creation of a category called "child at risk" for infants who test positive for a controlled substance not prescribed by physician, born dependent on such drugs or diagnosed with a condition due to in utero exposure to such drugs.
2- Authorize the Department of Health to create a monitoring program for mothers who give birth to at risk children and provide rehabilitative services for the mother and child.
3- Instructs hospitals and health care providers to report at risk children to Early Intervention Services.
4- Instructs the Department of Health to notify the Office of Children and Family Services of mothers who are non-compliant in their monitoring program.
5- Amend the Social Services Law and Family Court Act to include children of noncompliant mothers to the definition of "neglected children".
Legislative history
New bill
Fiscal implications
To be determined
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.