Bill Text: NY S02171 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Restricts hiring of child care providers with criminal convictions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 7-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-04 - REFERRED TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES [S02171 Detail]
Download: New_York-2011-S02171-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 2171 2011-2012 Regular Sessions I N S E N A T E January 18, 2011 ___________ Introduced by Sens. GOLDEN, DeFRANCISCO, JOHNSON, LAVALLE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Children and Families 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, the office of children and family services shall deny 17 the application unless the office determines, in its discretion, that 18 approval of the application will not in any way jeopardize the health, 19 safety or welfare of the children in the center, program or home] FOR AN 20 OFFENSE DEFINED IN ARTICLE ONE HUNDRED TWENTY, ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE, 21 ONE HUNDRED THIRTY, ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE, TWO HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE OR 22 TWO HUNDRED SIXTY-THREE OF THE PENAL LAW, OR AN OFFENSE COMMITTED UNDER 23 A FORMER PROVISION OF THE PENAL LAW WHICH WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION 24 OF THE AFORESAID ARTICLES OF THE PENAL LAW OR ANY OFFENSE COMMITTED IN EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD04647-01-1 S. 2171 2 1 ANOTHER JURISDICTION WHICH WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE AFORESAID 2 ARTICLES OF THE PENAL LAW; or 3 (ii) Where the criminal history record of an applicant to be an opera- 4 tor of a child day care center, school age child care program, group 5 family day care home, family day care home, or any person over the age 6 of eighteen residing in such a home, reveals a conviction for a crime 7 other than one set forth in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, the 8 office of children and family services may deny the application, 9 consistent with article twenty-three-A of the correction law; or 10 (iii) Where the criminal history record of an applicant to be an oper- 11 ator of a child day care center, school age child care program, group 12 family day care home, family day care home, or any other person over the 13 age of eighteen residing in such a home, reveals a charge for any crime, 14 the office of children and family services shall hold the application in 15 abeyance until the charge is finally resolved. 16 (b) (i) Where the criminal history record of a current operator of a 17 child day care center, school age child care program, group family day 18 care home, family day care home, or any other person over the age of 19 eighteen residing in such a home, reveals a conviction for a crime set 20 forth in subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the 21 office of children and family services shall conduct a safety assessment 22 of the program and take all appropriate steps to protect the health and 23 safety of the children in the program. The office of children and family 24 services shall deny, [limit, suspend,] revoke, reject or terminate a 25 license or registration based on such a conviction[, unless the office 26 determines, in its discretion, that continued operation of the center, 27 program or home will not in any way jeopardize the health, safety or 28 welfare of the children in the center, program or home]; 29 (ii) Where the criminal history record of a current operator of a 30 child day care center, school age child care program, group family day 31 care home, family day care home, or any other person over the age of 32 eighteen residing in such a home, reveals a conviction for a crime other 33 than one set forth in subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) of this subdivi- 34 sion, the office of children and family services shall conduct a safety 35 assessment of the program and take all appropriate steps to protect the 36 health and safety of the children in the program. The office may deny, 37 limit, suspend, revoke, reject or terminate a license or registration 38 based on such a conviction, consistent with article twenty-three-A of 39 the correction law; 40 (iii) Where the criminal history record of a current operator of a 41 child day care center, school age child care program, group family day 42 care home, family day care home, or any other person over the age of 43 eighteen residing in such a home, reveals a charge for any crime, the 44 office of children and family services shall conduct a safety assessment 45 of the program and take all appropriate steps to protect the health and 46 safety of the children in the program. The office may suspend a license 47 or registration based on such a charge where necessary to protect the 48 health and safety of the children in the program. 49 (c) (i) Where the criminal history record of an applicant to be an 50 employee or volunteer at a child day care center or school age child 51 care program reveals a conviction for a crime set forth in subparagraph 52 (i) of paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the office of children and 53 family services shall direct the provider to deny the application 54 [unless the office determines, in its discretion, that approval of the 55 application will not in any way jeopardize the health, safety or welfare 56 of the children in the center or program]; S. 2171 3 1 (ii) Where the criminal history record of an applicant to be an 2 employee or volunteer at a child day care center or school age child 3 care program reveals a conviction for a crime other than one set forth 4 in subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the office of 5 children and family services may, consistent with article twenty-three-A 6 of the correction law, direct the provider to deny the application; 7 (iii) Where the criminal history record of an applicant to be an 8 employee or volunteer at a child day care center or school age child 9 care program reveals a charge for any crime, the office of children and 10 family services shall hold the application in abeyance until the charge 11 is finally resolved. 12 (d) (i) Where the criminal history record of a current employee or 13 volunteer at a child day care center or school age child care program 14 reveals a conviction for a crime set forth in subparagraph (i) of para- 15 graph (a) of this subdivision, the office of children and family 16 services shall conduct a safety assessment of the program and take all 17 appropriate steps to protect the health and safety of the children in 18 the program. The office shall direct the provider to terminate the 19 employee or volunteer based on such a conviction[, unless the office 20 determines, in its discretion, that the continued presence of the 21 employee or volunteer in the center or program will not in any way jeop- 22 ardize the health, safety or welfare of the children in the center or 23 program]; 24 (ii) Where the criminal history record of a current employee or volun- 25 teer at a child day care center or school age child care program reveals 26 a conviction for a crime other than one set forth in subparagraph (i) of 27 paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the office of children and family 28 services shall conduct a safety assessment of the program and take all 29 appropriate steps to protect the health and safety of the children in 30 the program. The office may direct the provider to terminate the employ- 31 ee or volunteer based on such a conviction, consistent with article 32 twenty-three-A of the correction law; 33 (iii) Where the criminal history record of a current employee or 34 volunteer at a child day care center or school age child care program 35 reveals a charge for any crime, the office of children and family 36 services shall conduct a safety assessment of the program and take all 37 appropriate steps to protect the health and safety of the children in 38 the program. 39 (e) (i) Where the criminal history record of an applicant to be an 40 employee, assistant or volunteer at a group family day care home or 41 family day care home reveals a conviction for a crime set forth in 42 subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the office of 43 children and family services shall direct the provider to deny the 44 application [unless the office determines, in its discretion, that 45 approval of the application will not in any way jeopardize the health, 46 safety or welfare of the children in the home]; 47 (ii) Where the criminal history record of an applicant to be an 48 employee, assistant or volunteer at a group family day care home or 49 family day care home reveals a conviction for a crime other than one set 50 forth in subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the 51 office of children and family services may, consistent with article 52 twenty-three-A of the correction law, direct the provider to deny the 53 application; 54 (iii) Where the criminal history record of an applicant to be an 55 employee, assistant or volunteer at a group family day care home or 56 family day care home reveals a charge for any crime, the office of chil- S. 2171 4 1 dren and family services shall hold the application in abeyance until 2 the charge is finally resolved. 3 (f) (i) Where the criminal history record of a current employee, 4 assistant or volunteer at a group family day care home or family day 5 care home reveals a conviction for a crime set forth in subparagraph (i) 6 of paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the office of children and family 7 services shall conduct a safety assessment of the program and take all 8 appropriate steps to protect the health and safety of the children in 9 the home. The office of children and family services shall direct the 10 provider to terminate the employee, assistant or volunteer based on such 11 a conviction[, unless the office determines, in its discretion, that the 12 continued presence of the employee, assistant or volunteer in the home 13 will not in any way jeopardize the health, safety or welfare of the 14 children in the home]; 15 (ii) Where the criminal history record of a current employee, assist- 16 ant or volunteer at a group family day care home or family day care home 17 reveals a conviction for a crime other than one set forth in subpara- 18 graph (i) of paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the office of children 19 and family services shall conduct a safety assessment of the home and 20 take all appropriate steps to protect the health and safety of the chil- 21 dren in the home. The office may direct the provider to terminate the 22 employee, assistant or volunteer based on such a conviction, consistent 23 with article twenty-three-A of the correction law; 24 (iii) Where the criminal history record of a current employee, assist- 25 ant or volunteer at a group family day care home or family day care home 26 reveals a charge for any crime, the office of children and family 27 services shall conduct a safety assessment of the home and take all 28 appropriate steps to protect the health and safety of the children in 29 the home. 30 (g) Advise the provider that the individual has no criminal history 31 record. 32 S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.