Bill Text: NY A09167 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Authorizes service animals or therapy dogs to accompany victims of domestic violence at residential programs whenever such accompaniment is reasonable under the circumstances.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-03-01 - substituted by s6386a [A09167 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-A09167-Introduced.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          9167
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    February 1, 2016
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  ROSENTHAL  --  read once and referred to the
          Committee on Social Services
        AN ACT to amend the social services  law,  in  relation  to  authorizing
          service  animals  or  therapy  dogs  to  accompany victims of domestic
          violence at residential programs; and to amend a chapter of  the  laws
          of  2015  amending  the  social  services law, relating to authorizing
          service animals or therapy  dogs  to  accompany  victims  of  domestic
          violence  at  residential  programs,  as proposed in legislative bills
          numbers S.5372 and A.6626, in relation to the effectiveness thereof
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1.  Section 459-b of the social services law, as amended by a
     2  chapter of the laws of 2015 amending the social services  law,  relating
     3  to  authorizing  service animals or therapy dogs to accompany victims of
     4  domestic violence at residential programs, as  proposed  in  legislative
     5  bills numbers S.5372 and A.6626, is amended to read as follows:
     6    §  459-b.  Residential  services  for victims of domestic violence. In
     7  accordance with section one hundred thirty-one-u of this chapter and the
     8  regulations of the office of children  and  family  services,  a  social
     9  services  district shall offer and provide necessary and available emer-
    10  gency shelter and services for  up  to  ninety  days  at  a  residential
    11  program  for  victims  of  domestic  violence  to  a  victim of domestic
    12  violence who was residing in the social services district at the time of
    13  the alleged domestic violence whether or not such victim is eligible for
    14  public assistance. Two forty-five day extensions of necessary and avail-
    15  able emergency shelter may be granted beyond the maximum length of  stay
    16  at  a residential program for victims of domestic violence for residents
    17  who continue to be in need of emergency services and temporary  shelter.
    18  If  the victim of domestic violence has a service animal as such term is
    19  defined in section one hundred twenty-three-b  of  the  agriculture  and
    20  markets  law,  or  therapy  dog  as  such [terms are] term is defined in
    21  section [123-b and section 108] one hundred eight of the agriculture and
    22  markets law, respectively, such service animal or therapy dog  shall  be
    23  allowed  to  accompany  the victim at the residential program authorized
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD09820-04-6