STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 9222 IN ASSEMBLY February 16, 2024 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. HEVESI -- read once and referred to the Committee on Children and Families AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing the kinship legal network program The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 501-i 2 to read as follows: 3 § 501-i. Kinship legal network program. 1. There is hereby created 4 within the office of children and family services a kinship legal 5 network program. Such program shall be comprised of not-for-profit legal 6 services organizations and not-for-profit agencies serving kinship care- 7 givers, as defined by subdivision twenty-two of section three hundred 8 seventy-one of the social services law. 9 2. The kinship legal network program shall: 10 (a) provide legal representation to kinship caregivers in matters 11 including, but not limited to: 12 (i) custody and guardianship; 13 (ii) child support; 14 (iii) abuse and neglect; 15 (iv) adoption; 16 (v) eligibility for public benefits, including, but not limited to, 17 public assistance and supplemental nutrition assistance program bene- 18 fits; and 19 (vi) foster care certification; and 20 (b) establish and coordinate a statewide kinship information and 21 referral network. 22 3. (a) The office of children and family services shall provide grants 23 of not less than eight million dollars annually to eligible not-for-pro- 24 fit legal services organizations and not-for-profit agencies serving 25 kinship caregivers to provide kinship legal network services pursuant to 26 subdivision two of this section. 27 (b) Each not-for-profit legal organization shall be awarded no more 28 than fifteen percent of the funding provided pursuant to paragraph (a) EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD14249-01-4A. 9222 2 1 of this subdivision to coordinate and support the kinship legal network 2 program through the following activities: 3 (i) data collection; 4 (ii) assisting in preparing the report required pursuant to subdivi- 5 sion four of this section; 6 (iii) task force meetings; and 7 (iv) technical assistance. 8 4. The commissioner of children and family services, on or before 9 October first, two thousand twenty-five, and biannually thereafter, 10 shall submit a report to the chair of the senate finance committee and 11 the chair of the assembly ways and means committee. Such report shall 12 include, but not be limited to: 13 (a) a review of the basis for selection of entities participating in 14 the kinship legal network program; 15 (b) the administrative method used to carry out the kinship legal 16 network program; 17 (c) the number of kinship caregivers assisted through the kinship 18 legal network program and whether their legal matter was resolved by 19 counsel and advice or representation at an administrative or court 20 proceeding, and the outcomes of such proceedings; and 21 (d) whether such outcomes were reached by settlement or administrative 22 or judicial decision. 23 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.