Bill Text: NY A07554 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Clarifies the definition of "prospective relative guardian" for purposes of subsidized kinship guardianship assistance.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-06-19 - substituted by s4833a [A07554 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-A07554-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          7554
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                       May 2, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M.  of A. HEVESI, JAFFEE -- (at request of the Office of
          Court Administration) -- read once and referred to  the  Committee  on
          Children and Families
        AN  ACT  to amend the social services law, in relation to eligibility of
          children for subsidized kinship guardianship  assistance  to  expedite
          permanency for foster children before the family court
          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 458-a of the social services  law,
     2  as  added  by  section 4 of part F of chapter 58 of the laws of 2010, is
     3  amended to read as follows:
     4    3. "Prospective relative guardian" shall mean a  person  [or  persons]
     5  who  [is  related to the child through blood, marriage, or adoption who]
     6  has been caring for the child as a fully certified  or  approved  foster
     7  parent for at least six consecutive months prior to applying for kinship
     8  guardianship assistance payments and who:
     9    (a) is related to the child through blood, marriage, or adoption; or
    10    (b)  is related to a half-sibling of the child through blood, marriage
    11  or adoption and where such person or persons is or are also the prospec-
    12  tive or appointed relative guardian or guardians of  such  half-sibling;
    13  or
    14    (c)  is  an adult with a positive relationship with the child, includ-
    15  ing, but not limited to, a step-parent, godparent,  neighbor  or  family
    16  friend.
    17    §  2.  Paragraph  (a)  of subdivision 7 of section 458-b of the social
    18  services law, as added by section 4 of part F of chapter 58 of the  laws
    19  of 2010, is amended to read as follows:
    20    (a)  Kinship  guardianship  assistance  payments  shall be made to the
    21  relative guardian or guardians until  the  child's  eighteenth  birthday
    22  or[, if the child had attained sixteen years of age before the agreement
    23  became  effective,]  until  the  child  attains  twenty-one years of age
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD10178-01-7
        A. 7554                             2
     1  provided the child consented upon attaining the age of eighteen and  is:
     2  (i) completing secondary education or a program leading to an equivalent
     3  credential;  (ii)  enrolled in an institution which provides post-secon-
     4  dary  or  vocational education; (iii) employed for at least eighty hours
     5  per month; (iv) participating in  a  program  or  activity  designed  to
     6  promote,  or  remove barriers to, employment; or (v) incapable of any of
     7  such activities due  to  a  medical  condition,  which  incapability  is
     8  supported  by  regularly  updated  information  in  the case plan of the
     9  child.
    10    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.