What's happening
This bill expands eligibility for New York's runaway and homeless youth programs to include individuals up to age 25.
Why it matters
Addresses a critical service gap for young adults aged 21-24. who are homeless or at risk, recognizing that many people still face housing instability, family rejection, or economic hardship after turning 21 and before turning 25.
Gives local programs greater flexibility. runaway and homeless youth providers can choose, but are not required, to offer services (like shelter and crisis intervention) to the 21-24 age group, allowing adaptation to local needs and resources.
Enables municipalities and counties to receive state aid for serving a broader age range. , potentially increasing funding and coordinated care for older youth, and integrating these services into broader local plans for youth and family support.
Could improve long-term outcomes for vulnerable young adults. by extending access to transitional housing, support, and counseling at a key point when many are aging out of foster care or other youth services but may not yet be ready for full independence.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Homeless Youth Definition
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to children and families
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to children and families
Full text
4 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3980
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 31, 2017
Introduced by Sen. SAVINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Children and Families
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to expanding the application of the runaway and homeless youth program to youth under twentyfive years of age
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivisions 2 and 6 of section 532-a of the executive law, subdivision 2 as amended by chapter 800 of the laws of 1985 and subdivision 6 as amended by section 6 of part G of chapter 57 of the laws of 2013, are amended to read as follows:
2. "Homeless youth" shall mean a person under the age of [twenty-one] twenty-five who is in need of services and is without a place of shelter where supervision and care are available.
6. "Transitional independent living support program" shall mean any non-residential program approved by the office of children and family services after submission by the municipality as part of its comprehensive plan, or any residential facility approved by the office of children and family services after submission by the municipality as part of its comprehensive plan to offer youth development programs, established and operated to provide supportive services, for a period of up to eighteen months in accordance with the regulations of the office of children and family services, to enable homeless youth between the ages of sixteen and [twenty-one] twenty-five to progress from crisis care and transitional care to independent living. Such transitional independent living support program may also provide services to youth in need of crisis intervention or respite services. Notwithstanding the time limitation in paragraph (i) of subdivision (d) of section seven hundred thirty-five of the family court act, residential respite services may be provided in a transitional independent living support program for a period of more than twenty-one days.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02865-01-7
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§ 2. Subdivision 6 of section 532-a of the executive law, as amended by section 14 of part E of chapter 57 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as follows:
6. "Transitional independent living support program" shall mean any non-residential program approved by the office of children and family services after submission by the county youth bureau as part of its comprehensive plan, or any residential facility approved by the office of children and family services after submission by the county youth bureau as part of its comprehensive plan, established and operated to provide supportive services, for a period of up to eighteen months in accordance with the regulations of the office of children and family services, to enable homeless youth between the ages of sixteen and [twenty-one] twenty-five to progress from crisis care and transitional care to independent living. Such transitional independent living support program may also provide services to youth in need of crisis intervention or respite services. Notwithstanding the time limitation in paragraph (i) of subdivision (d) of section seven hundred thirty-five of the family court act, residential respite services may be provided in a transitional independent living support program for a period of more than twenty-one days.
§ 3. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 532-b of the executive law, as amended by section 15 of part E of chapter 57 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as follows:
(a) provide assistance to any runaway or homeless youth or youth in need of crisis intervention or respite services as defined in this article, except that for homeless youth or youth in need of crisis intervention or respite services between the ages of twenty-one and twentyfive, an approved runaway program may, but shall not be required to, provide assistance or respite services as defined in this article;
§ 4. Subdivision (a) of section 532-d of the executive law, as amended by chapter 182 of the laws of 2002, is amended to read as follows:
(a) provide shelter to homeless youth between the ages of sixteen and [twenty-one] twenty-five as defined in this article, except that for homeless youth between the ages of twenty-one and twenty-five, residential facilities operated as transitional independent living support programs may, but shall not be required to, provide shelter;
§ 5. Paragraph a of subdivision 2 of section 420 of the executive law, as amended by section 3 of part G of chapter 57 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
a. A municipality may submit to the office of children and family services a plan for the providing of services for runaway and homeless youth, as defined in article nineteen-H of this chapter. Where such municipality is receiving state aid pursuant to paragraph a of subdivision one of this section, such runaway and homeless youth plan shall be submitted as part of the comprehensive plan and shall be consistent with the goals and objectives therein. A runaway and homeless youth plan shall be developed in consultation with the municipal youth bureau and the county or city department of social services, shall be in accordance with the regulations of the office of children and family services, shall provide for a coordinated range of services for runaway and homeless youth and their families including preventive, temporary shelter, transportation, counseling, and other necessary assistance, and shall provide for the coordination of all available county resources for runaway and homeless youth and their families including services available through the municipal youth bureau, the county or city department of social services, local boards of education, local drug and alcohol
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programs and organizations or programs which have past experience dealing with runaway and homeless youth. Such plan may include provisions for transitional independent living support programs for homeless youth between the ages of sixteen and [twenty-one] twenty-five as provided in article nineteen-H of this chapter. Such plan shall also provide for the designation and duties of the runaway and homeless youth service coordinator defined in section five hundred thirty-two-a of this chapter who is available on a twenty-four hour basis and maintains information concerning available shelter space, transportation and services. Such plan may include provision for the per diem reimbursement for residential care of runaway and homeless youth in approved runaway programs which are authorized agencies, provided that such per diem reimbursement shall not exceed a total of thirty days for any one youth.
§ 6. Paragraph a of subdivision 2 of section 420 of the executive law, as amended by chapter 182 of the laws of 2002, is amended to read as follows:
a. A county may submit to the commissioner a plan for the providing of services for runaway and homeless youth, as defined in article nineteen-H of this chapter. Where such county is receiving state aid pursuant to paragraph a of subdivision one of this section, such runaway and homeless youth plan shall be submitted as part of the comprehensive county plan and shall be consistent with the goals and objectives therein. A runaway and homeless youth plan shall be developed in consultation with the county youth bureau and the county or city department of social services, shall be in accordance with the regulations of the commissioner, shall provide for a coordinated range of services for runaway and homeless youth and their families including preventive, temporary shelter, transportation, counseling, and other necessary assistance, and shall provide for the coordination of all available county resources for runaway and homeless youth and their families including services available through the county youth bureau, the county or city department of social services, local boards of education, local drug and alcohol programs and organizations or programs which have past experience dealing with runaway and homeless youth. Such plan may include provisions for transitional independent living support programs for homeless youth between the ages of sixteen and [twenty-one] twenty-five as provided in article nineteen-H of this chapter. Such plan shall also provide for the designation and duties of the runaway and homeless youth service coordinator defined in section five hundred thirty-two-a of this chapter who is available on a twenty-four hour basis and maintains information concerning available shelter space, transportation and services. Such plan may include provision for the per diem reimbursement for residential care of runaway and homeless youth in approved runaway programs which are authorized agencies, provided that such per diem reimbursement shall not exceed a total of thirty days for any one youth.
§ 7. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law, provided, that the amendments to subdivision 6 of section 532-a of the executive law, made by section one of this act, shall not affect the expiration and reversion of such subdivision pursuant to section 9 of part G of chapter 57 of the laws of 2013, as amended, when upon such date section two of this act shall take effect; and provided, further, that the amendments to subdivision 2 of section 420 of the executive law, made by section five of this act, shall not affect the expiration and reversion of such subdivision pursuant to section 9 of part G of chapter 57 of the laws of 2013, as amended, when upon such date section six of this act shall take effect. Provided,
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further, that effective immediately the commissioner of children and family services is authorized and directed to promulgate any rules necessary to implement the provisions of this act on its effective date on or before such date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to expanding the application of the runaway and homeless youth program to youth under twenty-five years of age
Purpose of bill
This legislation seeks to expand the application of the runaway and homeless youth act and related programs to youth under twenty-five years of age, which would be an increase from the current upper limit of up to twenty-one years of age.
Summary of specific provisions
Sections 1 and 2 of the proposal amend Section 532-a of the executive law to change, for purposes of Article 19-A (Runaway and Homeless Youth Act), the definition of "Homeless Youth" to include persons under the age of twenty-five who need services and are without a place of shelter where supervision and care are available.
Read the full memo (713 words)
These amendments also raise the upper level of the age of homeless youth eligible for transitional independent living support programs from twenty-one to twenty-five so that youth up to the age of twenty-five may progress from crisis care and transitional care to independent living.
Section 3 of the proposal amends Section 532-b of the executive law, for purposes of Article 19-A, to conform to the definitional change of "homeless youth" made in Sections 1 and 2. This would permit approved runaway programs to provide assistance to homeless youth or youth in need of crisis intervention or respite services between the ages of sixteen and twenty-five, up from sixteen and twenty-two.
Section 4 of the proposal amends Section 532-d of the executive law, for purposes of Article 19-A, to conform to the definitional change of "homeless youth" made in Sections 1 and 2. This would permit residential facilities operating as transitional independent living support programs to provide shelter to homeless youth between the ages of sixteen and twenty-five, up from sixteen and twenty-two.
Section 5 and 6 of the proposal amend section 420 of the executive law to conform to the definitional change of "homeless youth" made in
Sections 1 and 2.
Section 7 of the proposal provides that the law shall take effect on the one hundred and twentieth day after it shall have become a law.
Justification
The age limit for runaway and homeless youth in New York State, for purposes of shelter and transitional housing is 21 years presently. However, the current Federal Blueprint to end Youth Homelessness defines homeless youths as under age 25. Furthermore, over the past couple of years, states such as Massachusetts, California, Texas, Minnesota and Washington have defined the age of homeless youths as up to 24 years.
Many homeless youths in New York State between the ages of 21 and 25 are afraid to access adult homeless shelters provided by the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). These youths report experiencing violence and harassment in the adult shelters currently offered by DHS. The fear of violence, bullying and sexual assaults in adult shelters causes these youths to brave the uncertainty and safety risk of sleeping in the streets and in the subways. This results in a vicious and chronic cycle of adult homelessness, which destroys their lives and is ultimately costly to the state. These youth report feeling much safer in the shelters mandated by the Office of Children and Families under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act.
Aligning New York State's definition of runaway and homeless youth with the Federal Blueprint definition to include youth under age 25 would not only help prevent vulnerable youth from being chronically homeless, it would also enable our state's ability to access federal funding for which we may otherwise not be eligible.
This proposal is the right thing to do and makes economic sense.
Legislative history
2016 - reported from Children and Families Committee, died in Finance; P-Assembly (112-30)
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
To be determined, but expecting Federal funding based on alignment of runaway and homeless youth age with federal blueprint definition.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the one hundred and twentieth day after it shall have become a law, with the commissioner of children and family services authorized and directed to promulgate any rules necessary to implement the provisions of the act on or before the effective date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.