What's happening
This bill requires a report on the volume, nature, and feedback of calls received during extended hours of the Adult Protective Services line.
Why it matters
Provides transparency and accountability. by requiring detailed data on how many people use Adult Protective Services (APS) during extended hours, revealing whether the expanded service is meeting community needs.
Assesses the effectiveness. of extended hours by analyzing the types of calls and assistance provided, which can inform future policy decisions about resource allocation and service hours.
Incorporates consumer feedback. , meaning the report must include what callers think about the extended hours—valuable information for improving the program and ensuring it is user-friendly and accessible for vulnerable populations.
Informs lawmakers and the public. by mandating the report be shared with both the Governor and legislative committees, which may influence future funding or legislative changes to better protect adults in need.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Report on APS Call Volume
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to aging
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 62–0
- Ordered to third reading cal.1965
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Referred to aging
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
8533
IN SENATE
May 9, 2018
Introduced by Sen. SERINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Aging
AN ACT to direct a report regarding calls received during extended hours of the Adult Protective Services line
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The office of children and family services, in conjunction with the office for the aging, shall submit a report to the Governor and the chairs of the Senate and Assembly committees on aging no later than January 1, 2019 which shall include, but not be limited to, an accounting of the amounts of additional calls received and persons assisted during the extended hours for the Adult Protective Services line authorized and funded pursuant to chapter 50 of the laws of 2018 enacting the state operations budget, the nature of the phone calls received, variance in call rates by hour including the extended hours, and any consumer feedback received regarding the extended hours.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15603-01-8
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to direct a report regarding calls received during extended hours of the Adult Protective Services line
Purpose
To require a report on data relating to the Adult Protective Services line.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Requires the Office of Children and Family Services in conjunction with the Office for the Aging to submit a report on the number of additional calls to the Adult Protective Services line during the extended hours, the nature of the phone calls, variance in call rates by hour and consumer feedback received regarding the extended hours.
Section 2: Establishes the effective date.
Justification
The Adult Protective Services (APS) hotline receives complaints of suspected elder abuse through the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). While the Children Protective Services hotline - serviced through OCFS as well - is operated on a 24 hour, seven-day-a-week basis, the APS hotline operates Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Unfortunately, many advocates argue that limited hotline hours decrease the amount of reporting and deters complainants who receive no answer after 5:00 PM or on the weekends. As such, funding was appropriated in the 2018-2019 FY State Executive Budget to extend the hours of the APS line by three hours, Monday through Friday, so that the hotline will run from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., instead of ending at 5:00 p.m. The intent of this extension was to increase the times in which suspected abuse may be reported and identify whether evening hours result in increased investigations. This legislation capitalizes on this opportunity to also require that OCFS track the number of increased calls and generate a report as to the effectiveness of broader hotline availability.
Studies have estimated that hundreds of thousands of seniors are abused each year, and many are suffering in silence. Elder abuse is one of the most underreported crimes in the state, with estimates as high as 24 cases going unreported for each case that is. It has also been found that seniors who have experienced even moderate abuse have a 300% higher risk of death compared to those who have not been abused. Given the dire consequences of such abuse, combined with the rate of unreported inci- dents, it is easy to see why every additional minute the hotline is open can make a world of difference-especially since abuse is not limited to standard business hours.
Legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
Minimal.
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.