STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          9583
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    January 23, 2018
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A. SANTABARBARA -- read once and referred to the
          Committee on Mental Health
        AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to the powers and  duties
          of  the  advisory  council of the justice center for the protection of
          people with special needs
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Section 561 of the executive law is amended by adding a new
     2  subdivision 6-a to read as follows:
     3    6-a.  The  council  shall  review  the  mission  and operations of the
     4  justice center for the protection of  people  with  special  needs,  the
     5  validity  of  claims  of  abuse  and  neglect and the appropriateness of
     6  prosecutorial actions. This review shall also include but not be limited
     7  to:
     8    (a) ensuring that allegations of abuse and neglect are valid and if so
     9  have been promptly and fully investigated;
    10    (b) reviewing common standards and requirements for investigators;
    11    (c) ensuring that  individuals  who  are  responsible  for  abuse  and
    12  neglect have been held accountable;
    13    (d)  reviewing all prosecutorial conduct and ensuring all prosecutions
    14  were valid and within the mission of the agency;
    15    (e) reviewing the register of names of individuals  found  responsible
    16  for  acts  of  abuse  or  neglect and whether such individuals have been
    17  barred from employment in the care of people with special needs; and
    18    (f) reviewing investigations and procedures related to cases involving
    19  death.
    20    § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth  day  after  it  shall
    21  have become a law.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD06481-01-7