What's happening
This bill waives criminal background check fees for not-for-profit mentoring programs and expands the definition of mentoring programs.
Why it matters
Reduces financial barriers for not-for-profit mentoring programs. by eliminating the fees for required criminal background checks, making it easier for these organizations to recruit volunteers and staff, which could increase the availability and reach of mentoring services.
Expands the reach of background check fee waivers. to include not only traditional mentoring programs but also youth sports programs and any qualifying educational institution, broadening the pool of adults who can serve as mentors or coaches without additional cost.
Strengthens youth safety and program integrity. by maintaining the requirement for background checks, but removing cost obstacles that might otherwise discourage thorough vetting, thus helping to ensure that vulnerable youth are protected without burdening non-profit resources.
Encourages the growth of mentoring and youth development initiatives. by making it more financially sustainable for organizations to comply with safety regulations, potentially leading to more programs, volunteers, and positive outcomes for young people across New York State.
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
Free Background Checks for Mentors
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 29
History
- Referred to children and families
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 60–0
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.1165
- Referred to children and families
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to children and families
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 61–0
Show 4 earlier actions
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.724
- Referred to children and families
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1056
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by Sens. SERRANO, KRUEGER, RAMOS, WEBB -- 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 and the executive law, in relation to the provision of criminal history background checks free of charge to mentoring programs operated by not-for-profit corporations
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 4 of section 390-e of the social services law, as added by chapter 459 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
4. Every mentoring program that chooses to apply for a criminal history background check with the division of criminal justice services shall obtain a set of fingerprints from each individual for whom a criminal background check is to be completed and such other information as is required by the office and the division of criminal justice services. For each prospective employee or mentor for whom the mentoring program completes a criminal background check, the mentoring program shall provide the applicant with blank fingerprint cards and a description of how the completed fingerprint card will be used upon submission to the mentoring program. The mentoring program shall promptly transmit such fingerprint card and the processing fee to the office; provided, however, if the mentoring program is operated by a not-for-profit corporation, no processing fee shall be imposed for a criminal background check. The office shall promptly submit the fingerprint card and the processing fee, if imposed pursuant to subdivision eight-a of section eight hundred thirty-seven of the executive law, to the division of criminal justice services for its full search and retain processing.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00452-01-5
§ 2. Subdivision 8-a of section 837 of the executive law, as amended by chapter 561 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
8-a. Charge a fee when, pursuant to statute or the regulations of the division, it conducts a search of its criminal history records and returns a report thereon in connection with an application for employment or for a license or permit. The division shall adopt and may, from time to time, amend a schedule of such fees which shall be in amounts determined by the division to be reasonably related to the cost of conducting such searches and returning reports thereon but, in no event, shall any such fee exceed twenty-five dollars and an additional surcharge of fifty dollars. The comptroller is hereby authorized to deposit such fees into the general fund, provided, however, that the monies received by the division of criminal justice services for payment of the additional surcharge shall be deposited in equal amounts to the general fund and to the fingerprint identification and technology account. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the division shall not request or accept any fee for searching its records and supplying a criminal history report pursuant to section two hundred fifty-one-b of the general business law relating to participating in flight instruction at any aeronautical facility, flight school or institution of higher learning, or pursuant to section three hundred ninety-e of the social services law when the division is supplying a criminal history report to a mentoring program operated by a not-for-profit corporation.
§ 3. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 1 of section 390-e of the social services law, as added by chapter 459 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
(c) "Mentoring program" shall mean a formalized program, operated by:
(i) a corporation which has been incorporated pursuant to subparagraph five of paragraph (a) of section one hundred two of the not-for-profit corporation law or pursuant to subparagraph four of paragraph (a) of section one hundred two of the business corporation law[, or operated by];
(ii) an educational institution or school district, that matches youth with adult volunteers with the purpose of providing such youth with positive role models to enhance their development; or
(iii) a youth sports program.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
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 and the executive law, in relation to the provision of criminal history background checks free of charge to mentoring programs operated by not-for-profit corporations
Purpose
To direct the Division of Criminal Justice Services to provide criminal background checks to not-forprofit mentoring programs free of charge.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of the bill amends Subdivision 4 of section 390-e of the social services law to provide that there shall be no processing fee for criminal background checks requested by not-for-profit mentoring programs.
Section 2 amends subdivision 8-a of section 837 of the executive law to provide that the Division of Criminal Justice Services shall not request or accept any fee for conducting criminal background checks for not-for- profit mentoring programs.
Section 3 amends subdivision 1 of section 390-e of the social services law to include mentoring programs such as corporations which have been incorporated pursuant to subparagraph five of paragraph (a) of section 102 of the not-for-profit corporation law or section 102 of the business corporation law, educational institutions or school districts, and youth sports programs.
Section 4 provides the effective date.
Existing law
Not-for-profit-mentoring programs are currently assessed a fee for crim- inal background checks.
Justification
Youth mentoring programs provide a needed service in our communities. They match troubled or at-risk youth with positive adult role models in long-term mentoring friendships for the purpose of guiding them through difficult life decisions and circumstances. However, not-for-profit mentoring programs have very limited resources, and the cost of criminal background checks can be prohibitive. This bill would allow not-for-pro- fit mentoring programs to avoid the fee associated with a background check, thus allowing the organization to dedicate its scarce resources to provide service to the community.
Legislative history
2024: S1605 - Passed Senate. Delivered to Assembly- referred to children and families
2023: S.1605 - Passed Senate. Delivered to Assembly. Died in Assembly.
2021-22: S.1488 - Passed Senate
2020: S.6023 - Reported to Finance
2019: S.6023 - Passed Senate
Fiscal implications
Minimal.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the 60 days after it shall become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.