Bill Text: NY A04881 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Restricts hiring of child care providers with criminal convictions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-06 - referred to children and families [A04881 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-A04881-Amended.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                        4881--A
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                   February 9, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by M. of A. PERRY -- read once and referred to the Committee
         on Children  and  Families  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,
         ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
       AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to criminal history
         review of child care providers
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 390-b of the social services  law,
    2  as  added  by  chapter  416  of  the laws of 2000, is amended to read as
    3  follows:
    4    3. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the  contrary,  after
    5  reviewing  any criminal history record information provided by the divi-
    6  sion of criminal justice services, of an individual who is subject to  a
    7  criminal  history  record  check pursuant to this section, the office of
    8  children and family services and the provider shall take  the  following
    9  actions:
   10    (a)  (i)  Where  the  criminal history record of an applicant to be an
   11  operator of a child day care center,  school  age  child  care  program,
   12  group family day care home, family day care home, or any person over the
   13  age  of eighteen residing in such a home, reveals a felony conviction at
   14  any time for a sex offense, crime against a child, or a crime  involving
   15  violence,  or a felony conviction within the past five years for a drug-
   16  related offense OR A FELONY CONVICTION  AT  ANY  TIME  FOR  ANY  OFFENSE
   17  COMMITTED  IN  ANOTHER  JURISDICTION  WHICH, IF COMMITTED IN THIS STATE,
   18  WOULD CONSTITUTE A SEX OFFENSE, CRIME AGAINST A CHILD, OR CRIME  INVOLV-
   19  ING  VIOLENCE,  OR  A FELONY CONVICTION WITHIN THE PAST FIVE YEARS FOR A
   20  DRUG-RELATED OFFENSE PURSUANT TO THE PENAL LAW, the office  of  children
   21  and family services shall deny the application [unless the office deter-
   22  mines,  in  its discretion, that approval of the application will not in
   23  any way jeopardize the health, safety or welfare of the children in  the
   24  center, program or home]; or
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD00577-05-5
       A. 4881--A                          2
    1    (ii) Where the criminal history record of an applicant to be an opera-
    2  tor  of  a  child  day care center, school age child care program, group
    3  family day care home, family day care home, or any person over  the  age
    4  of  eighteen  residing  in such a home, reveals a conviction for a crime
    5  other  than  one  set  forth  in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, the
    6  office of  children  and  family  services  may  deny  the  application,
    7  consistent with article twenty-three-A of the correction law; or
    8    (iii) Where the criminal history record of an applicant to be an oper-
    9  ator  of  a  child day care center, school age child care program, group
   10  family day care home, family day care home, or any other person over the
   11  age of eighteen residing in such a home, reveals a charge for any crime,
   12  the office of children and family services shall hold the application in
   13  abeyance until the charge is finally resolved.
   14    (b) (i) Where the criminal history record of a current operator  of  a
   15  child  day  care center, school age child care program, group family day
   16  care home, family day care home, or any other person  over  the  age  of
   17  eighteen  residing  in such a home, reveals a conviction for a crime set
   18  forth in subparagraph (i) of paragraph  (a)  of  this  subdivision,  the
   19  office of children and family services shall conduct a safety assessment
   20  of  the program and take all appropriate steps to protect the health and
   21  safety of the children in the program. The office of children and family
   22  services shall deny, [limit, suspend,] revoke,  reject  or  terminate  a
   23  license  or  registration based on such a conviction[, unless the office
   24  determines, in its discretion, that continued operation of  the  center,
   25  program  or  home  will  not in any way jeopardize the health, safety or
   26  welfare of the children in the center, program or home];
   27    (ii) Where the criminal history record of  a  current  operator  of  a
   28  child  day  care center, school age child care program, group family day
   29  care home, family day care home, or any other person  over  the  age  of
   30  eighteen residing in such a home, reveals a conviction for a crime other
   31  than one set forth in subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) of this subdivi-
   32  sion,  the office of children and family services shall conduct a safety
   33  assessment of the program and take all appropriate steps to protect  the
   34  health  and  safety of the children in the program. The office may deny,
   35  limit, suspend, revoke, reject or terminate a  license  or  registration
   36  based  on  such  a conviction, consistent with article twenty-three-A of
   37  the correction law;
   38    (iii) Where the criminal history record of a  current  operator  of  a
   39  child  day  care center, school age child care program, group family day
   40  care home, family day care home, or any other person  over  the  age  of
   41  eighteen  residing  in  such a home, reveals a charge for any crime, the
   42  office of children and family services shall conduct a safety assessment
   43  of the program and take all appropriate steps to protect the health  and
   44  safety  of the children in the program. The office may suspend a license
   45  or registration based on such a charge where necessary  to  protect  the
   46  health and safety of the children in the program.
   47    (c)  (i)  Where  the  criminal history record of an applicant to be an
   48  employee or volunteer at a child day care center  or  school  age  child
   49  care  program reveals a conviction for a crime set forth in subparagraph
   50  (i) of paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the  office  of  children  and
   51  family  services  shall  direct  the  provider  to  deny the application
   52  [unless the office determines, in its discretion, that approval  of  the
   53  application will not in any way jeopardize the health, safety or welfare
   54  of the children in the center or program];
   55    (ii)  Where  the  criminal  history  record  of  an applicant to be an
   56  employee or volunteer at a child day care center  or  school  age  child
       A. 4881--A                          3
    1  care  program  reveals a conviction for a crime other than one set forth
    2  in subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the office  of
    3  children and family services may, consistent with article twenty-three-A
    4  of the correction law, direct the provider to deny the application;
    5    (iii)  Where  the  criminal  history  record  of an applicant to be an
    6  employee or volunteer at a child day care center  or  school  age  child
    7  care  program reveals a charge for any crime, the office of children and
    8  family services shall hold the application in abeyance until the  charge
    9  is finally resolved.
   10    (d)  (i)  Where  the  criminal history record of a current employee or
   11  volunteer at a child day care center or school age  child  care  program
   12  reveals  a conviction for a crime set forth in subparagraph (i) of para-
   13  graph (a) of  this  subdivision,  the  office  of  children  and  family
   14  services  shall  conduct a safety assessment of the program and take all
   15  appropriate steps to protect the health and safety of  the  children  in
   16  the  program.  The  office  shall  direct  the provider to terminate the
   17  employee or volunteer based on such a  conviction[,  unless  the  office
   18  determines,  in  its  discretion,  that  the  continued  presence of the
   19  employee or volunteer in the center or program will not in any way jeop-
   20  ardize the health, safety or welfare of the children in  the  center  or
   21  program];
   22    (ii) Where the criminal history record of a current employee or volun-
   23  teer at a child day care center or school age child care program reveals
   24  a conviction for a crime other than one set forth in subparagraph (i) of
   25  paragraph  (a)  of  this  subdivision, the office of children and family
   26  services shall conduct a safety assessment of the program and  take  all
   27  appropriate  steps  to  protect the health and safety of the children in
   28  the program. The office may direct the provider to terminate the employ-
   29  ee or volunteer based on such  a  conviction,  consistent  with  article
   30  twenty-three-A of the correction law;
   31     (iii)  Where  the  criminal  history  record of a current employee or
   32  volunteer at a child day care center or school age  child  care  program
   33  reveals  a  charge  for  any  crime,  the  office of children and family
   34  services shall conduct a safety assessment of the program and  take  all
   35  appropriate  steps  to  protect the health and safety of the children in
   36  the program.
   37    (e) (i) Where the criminal history record of an  applicant  to  be  an
   38  employee,  assistant  or  volunteer  at  a group family day care home or
   39  family day care home reveals a conviction  for  a  crime  set  forth  in
   40  subparagraph  (i)  of  paragraph  (a) of this subdivision, the office of
   41  children and family services shall  direct  the  provider  to  deny  the
   42  application  [unless  the  office  determines,  in  its discretion, that
   43  approval of the application will not in any way jeopardize  the  health,
   44  safety or welfare of the children in the home];
   45    (ii)  Where  the  criminal  history  record  of  an applicant to be an
   46  employee, assistant or volunteer at a group  family  day  care  home  or
   47  family day care home reveals a conviction for a crime other than one set
   48  forth  in  subparagraph  (i)  of  paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the
   49  office of children and family  services  may,  consistent  with  article
   50  twenty-three-A  of  the  correction law, direct the provider to deny the
   51  application;
   52    (iii) Where the criminal history record  of  an  applicant  to  be  an
   53  employee,  assistant  or  volunteer  at  a group family day care home or
   54  family day care home reveals a charge for any crime, the office of chil-
   55  dren and family services shall hold the application  in  abeyance  until
   56  the charge is finally resolved.
       A. 4881--A                          4
    1    (f)  (i)  Where  the  criminal  history  record of a current employee,
    2  assistant or volunteer at a group family day care  home  or  family  day
    3  care home reveals a conviction for a crime set forth in subparagraph (i)
    4  of  paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the office of children and family
    5  services  shall  conduct a safety assessment of the program and take all
    6  appropriate steps to protect the health and safety of  the  children  in
    7  the  home.  The  office of children and family services shall direct the
    8  provider to terminate the employee, assistant or volunteer based on such
    9  a conviction[, unless the office determines, in its discretion, that the
   10  continued presence of the employee, assistant or volunteer in  the  home
   11  will  not  in  any  way  jeopardize the health, safety or welfare of the
   12  children in the home];
   13    (ii) Where the criminal history record of a current employee,  assist-
   14  ant or volunteer at a group family day care home or family day care home
   15  reveals  a  conviction  for a crime other than one set forth in subpara-
   16  graph (i) of paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the office  of  children
   17  and  family  services  shall conduct a safety assessment of the home and
   18  take all appropriate steps to protect the health and safety of the chil-
   19  dren in the home. The office may direct the provider  to  terminate  the
   20  employee,  assistant or volunteer based on such a conviction, consistent
   21  with article twenty-three-A of the correction law;
   22    (iii) Where the criminal history record of a current employee, assist-
   23  ant or volunteer at a group family day care home or family day care home
   24  reveals a charge for any  crime,  the  office  of  children  and  family
   25  services  shall  conduct  a  safety  assessment of the home and take all
   26  appropriate steps to protect the health and safety of  the  children  in
   27  the home.
   28    (g)  Advise  the  provider that the individual has no criminal history
   29  record.
   30    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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