Bill Text: NY A00243 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Expands volunteerism by making use of the databases of statewide aging organizations, and institutes volunteer certificate programs which train volunteers and individuals in programs to use the volunteers.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-3)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-06 - referred to aging [A00243 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-A00243-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                          243
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                      (PREFILED)
                                    January 7, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  ROZIC,  KAVANAGH,  FINCH, LUPARDO, MARKEY --
         Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. LOPEZ, McKEVITT, RIVERA  --  read  once
         and referred to the Committee on Aging
       AN ACT to amend the elder law, in relation to volunteer programs
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Subdivision 7 of section 203 of the elder law is amended to
    2  read as follows:
    3    7. (A) The director is hereby authorized, within amounts  appropriated
    4  therefor, to make grants-in-aid to retired and senior volunteer programs
    5  for  the  engagement  of  individuals fifty-five years of age or over to
    6  serve as volunteers for the betterment  of  their  community  and  them-
    7  selves.  Such  volunteer activities may include but shall not be limited
    8  to assisting with the preparation of meals at nutrition  sites;  leading
    9  activities at child care centers; delivering meals to homebound elderly;
   10  providing  telephone  reassurance  and/or  friendly  visits to the frail
   11  elderly; tutoring adults or children; assisting with  services  for  the
   12  homeless and assisting school districts which request volunteers for the
   13  purpose  of  notifying  a  person in parental relation to any elementary
   14  school pupil when such pupil is deemed absent from  required  attendance
   15  at  his  or her designated school. The services of these volunteers will
   16  be performed in the community where such individuals reside or in nearby
   17  communities. Up to ten percent of such grants-in-aid may be expended for
   18  the administrative purposes of such programs, with the approval  of  the
   19  office.  Such  grants  shall  be  for a period of twelve months or less,
   20  shall not be used to match other state funds, shall not  be  used  as  a
   21  substitute  for federal allocations, and shall be made in a manner which
   22  does not conflict with federal law, rule or regulation pursuant to title
   23  II of the United States domestic  volunteer  services  act  of  nineteen
   24  hundred  seventy-three,  as amended. Grants may be used to match federal
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD00405-01-5
       A. 243                              2
    1  funds, but not  as  a  substitute  for  presently  required  non-federal
    2  shares. Each grantee shall file reports at such time and containing such
    3  information  as the office shall require. For the purpose of administer-
    4  ing  such  grants-in-aid  the office may make such agreements with other
    5  public agencies as are deemed necessary.
    6    (B) IN ADDITION TO THE POWERS AND DUTIES CONTAINED IN SUBDIVISION  TWO
    7  OF  THIS  SECTION,  THE  OFFICE  IS  HEREBY  AUTHORIZED  TO ENTER INTO A
    8  RELATIONSHIP, DEFINED BY CONTRACT, WITH ONE OR MORE STATEWIDE  ORGANIZA-
    9  TIONS  FOR THE PURPOSE OF ESTABLISHING A DATABANK OF INDIVIDUALS WISHING
   10  TO VOLUNTEER THEIR SERVICES TO PROGRAMS THAT ADDRESS THE  NEEDS  OF  THE
   11  AGING,  AND  TO  ESTABLISH,  REPLICATE,  OR ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF
   12  TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR SUCH VOLUNTEERS AND  PROGRAMS.  THE  OFFICE  SHALL
   13  ESTABLISH  GUIDELINES  FOR  THE  USE  OF  ANY  SUCH  DATABANK, INCLUDING
   14  REQUIREMENTS CONCERNING APPROPRIATE DATA TO BE ENTERED  INTO  THE  DATA-
   15  BANK,  CONFIDENTIALITY,  SCREENING,  ACCESS, CORRECTION OF THE DATA, AND
   16  SUCH OTHER REQUIREMENTS AS THE OFFICE, AFTER CONSULTATION AND  WITH  THE
   17  ADVICE  OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE AGING AND OTHERS, SHALL ESTAB-
   18  LISH. THE PURPOSE OF THE TRAINING CURRICULUM SHALL BE  TO  TRAIN,  ON  A
   19  VOLUNTARY  BASIS,  VOLUNTEERS  FOR THE TASKS THEY ARE INTERESTED IN, AND
   20  INDIVIDUALS IN NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS  IN  EFFECTIVELY  AND  EFFI-
   21  CIENTLY  USING  VOLUNTEERS.  IN DEVELOPING THE CURRICULUM THE OFFICE MAY
   22  CONSULT AND WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS AND ENTITIES WITH  EXPERTISE  IN  SUCH
   23  TRAINING  AND  DEVELOPMENT  AT  THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND THE
   24  CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK.
   25    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately, provided that the  powers
   26  and  duties established in paragraph (b) of subdivision 7 of section 203
   27  of the elder law as added by this act shall be effective  on  and  after
   28  the  first  of April occurring at least one year after the date on which
   29  this act shall have become a law.