What's happening
This bill provides five days paid leave and free counseling to child protective services employees if a child they investigate dies from suspected abuse.
Why it matters
Addresses the emotional toll on frontline child protective workers. by formally recognizing the traumatic impact when a child they are investigating dies from suspected abuse, and providing a structured response.
May help reduce burnout and staff turnover. in child protective services by offering both time away from work and professional mental health support after traumatic incidents, potentially improving retention and job satisfaction.
Signals institutional support and value for non-supervisory CPS employees. , distinguishing their direct exposure to trauma from that of supervisors, and prioritizing their mental health needs in law.
Could improve quality of services for vulnerable children in the long term. by ensuring that employees are better able to recover from traumatic events and return to work more resilient and focused.
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Paid Leave for CPS Workers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to children and families
- 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.
Paid Leave for CPS Workers
In Assembly Committee · Governmental Employees · Sponsor Patricia Fahy
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5574
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 17, 2017
Introduced by Sen. GOLDEN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Children and Families
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to paid leave and counseling for child protective services employees when an abused or maltreated child dies
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The social services law is amended by adding a new section 424-c to read as follows:
§ 424-c. Paid leave and counseling; death of abused or maltreated child. 1. (a) A non-supervisory local child protective services employee that is investigating a report of suspected child abuse or maltreatment shall receive five days of paid leave if the child suspected of being abused or maltreated dies when there is reasonable cause to suspect that the death was the result of injuries suffered from such abuse or maltreatment.
(b) The entire period of the leave of absence granted pursuant to this subdivision shall be excused leave and shall not be charged against any other leave such employee is otherwise entitled to.
2. Each local social services district shall offer every non-supervisory local child protective services employee subject to subdivision one of this section counseling or psychological assistance immediately after the death of the child. Such assistance shall be offered at no cost to the employee.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02671-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to paid leave and counseling for child protective services employees when an abused or maltreated child dies
Purpose
To give paid leave and counseling to child protective services employees when an abused or maltreated child whose case he or she has been investigating dies.
Summary of provisions
Section one of this bill adds a new section 424-c to the Social Services Law that would provide five days paid leave and counseling to non-supervisory child protective services employees when there is a child fatality in a case of suspected child abuse or maltreatment they are investigating. This section further provides, in new subdivision (b), that such leave shall not be charged against any other leave the employee is otherwise entitled to. Finally, this section provides that each local service district shall offer every non-supervisory local child protective services employee subject of this section counseling or psychological assistance at no cost to the employee.
Section two of this bill provides that this act shall take effect immediately.
Justification
While fatalities during child protective services investigations are rare, they can be quite traumatic for all parties involved. This act would afford child protective services employees paid leave and counseling to cope with the traumatic experience of a child fatality during an investigation that they experienced first hand.
Legislative history
2016: S.3226 - Reported to Finance 2015: S.3226 - Reported to Finance 2014: S.7506 - Reported to Finance
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.