Expand Senior Volunteer Programs

Section 1. Subdivision 7 of section 203 of the elder law is amended to read as follows:

7. (a) The director is hereby authorized, within amounts appropriated therefor, to make grants-in-aid to retired and senior volunteer programs for the engagement of individuals fifty-five years of age or over to serve as volunteers for the betterment of their community and themselves. Such volunteer activities may include but shall not be limited to assisting with the preparation of meals at nutrition sites; leading activities at child care centers; delivering meals to homebound elderly; providing telephone reassurance and/or friendly visits to the frail elderly; tutoring adults or children; assisting with services for the homeless and assisting school districts which request volunteers for the purpose of notifying a person in parental relation to any elementary school pupil when such pupil is deemed absent from required attendance at his or her designated school. The services of these volunteers will be performed in the community where such individuals reside or in nearby communities. Up to ten percent of such grants-in-aid may be expended for the administrative purposes of such programs, with the approval of the office. Such grants shall be for a period of twelve months or less, shall not be used to match other state funds, shall not be used as a substitute for federal allocations, and shall be made in a manner which does not conflict with federal law, rule or regulation pursuant to title II of the United States domestic volunteer services act of nineteen hundred seventy-three, as amended. Grants may be used to match federal funds, but not as a substitute for presently required non-federal shares. Each grantee shall file reports at such time and containing such

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD10306-01-9

S. 5022 2

information as the office shall require. For the purpose of administering such grants-in-aid the office may make such agreements with other public agencies as are deemed necessary.

(b) In addition to the powers and duties contained in subdivision two of this section, the office is hereby authorized to enter into a relationship, defined by contract, with one or more statewide organizations for the purpose of establishing a databank of individuals wishing to volunteer their services to programs that address the needs of the aging, and to establish, replicate, or encourage the development of training programs for such volunteers and programs. The office shall establish guidelines for the use of any such databank, including requirements concerning appropriate data to be entered into the databank, confidentiality, screening, access, correction of the data, and such other requirements as the office, after consultation and with the advice of the advisory committee for the aging and others, shall establish. The purpose of the training curriculum shall be to train, on a voluntary basis, volunteers for the tasks they are interested in, and individuals in not-for-profit organizations in effectively and efficiently using volunteers. In developing the curriculum the office may consult and work with individuals and entities with expertise in such training and development at the state university of New York and the city university of New York.

§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately, provided that the powers and duties established in paragraph (b) of subdivision 7 of section 203 of the elder law as added by this act shall be effective on and after the first of April occurring at least one year after the date on which this act shall have become a law.