Bill Text: NY S07318 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Relates to creating a hotline for the reporting of various forms of abuse which may jeopardize the health or welfare of any person.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO AGING [S07318 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-S07318-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7318 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN SENATE May 19, 2023 ___________ Introduced by Sen. CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Aging AN ACT to amend the social services law and the elder law, in relation to providing protective services to certain individuals The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 473 of the social services law is amended by adding 2 a new subdivision 9 to read as follows: 3 9. (a) Within amounts appropriated therefor, the office of children 4 and family services shall establish a statewide, toll-free telephone 5 number (a "hotline") to receive reports consistent with subdivision one 6 of this section. The hotline shall receive reports of allegations of 7 reportable incidents twenty-four hours per day, seven days a week. The 8 hotline shall accept anonymous calls. 9 (b) When any allegation that could reasonably constitute a reportable 10 incident is received by the hotline, the hotline shall accept and imme- 11 diately transmit notice of the report orally and electronically to any 12 appropriate state agencies or local social services office. Whenever a 13 telephone call or electronic transmission to the hotline alleges an act 14 or circumstances that may constitute a criminal offense or an immediate 15 threat to an individual's health, safety or welfare, the hotline shall 16 convey, by the most expedient means available, the information contained 17 in such call or transmission to the appropriate law enforcement agency 18 or district attorney and, to the extent necessary, the appropriate emer- 19 gency responder, and the relevant state agency or local social services 20 office. 21 (c) The commissioner is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations 22 to facilitate the implementation and operation of the hotline, including 23 but not limited to, procedures for timely and accurate referrals to 24 other state agencies or entities that may have investigative or over- 25 sight authority regarding reported incidents. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD09212-01-3S. 7318 2 1 § 2. Subdivision 16 of section 202 of the elder law, as amended by 2 chapter 63 of the laws of 2022, is amended to read as follows: 3 16. to the extent appropriations are available, and in consultation 4 with the office of children and family services, conduct a public educa- 5 tion campaign that emphasizes zero-tolerance for elder abuse. Such 6 campaign shall include information about the signs and symptoms of elder 7 abuse, identification of potential causes of elder abuse, which includes 8 identity theft, resources available to assist in the prevention of elder 9 abuse, where suspected elder abuse can be reported, including, but not 10 limited to, information regarding the statewide hotline as provided for 11 in paragraph (a) of subdivision nine of section four hundred seventy- 12 three of the social services law, contact information for programs 13 offering services to victims of elder abuse such as counseling, and 14 assistance with arranging personal care and shelter. Such campaign may 15 include, but not be limited to: printed educational and informational 16 materials; audio, video, electronic, other media; and public service 17 announcements or advertisements; and 18 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after 19 it shall have become a law.
