STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7366 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY May 18, 2023 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. HEVESI -- read once and referred to the Committee on Children and Families AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to updating the mandated reporter training to include how to identify an abused or maltreated child with an intellectual or developmental disability The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 413 of the social services law is amended by adding 2 a new subdivision 6 to read as follows: 3 6. The office of children and family services shall update training 4 issued to persons and officials required to report cases of suspected 5 child abuse or maltreatment to include guidance on identifying an abused 6 or maltreated child when such child is an individual with an intellectu- 7 al or developmental disability as defined in section 1.03 of the mental 8 hygiene law. Such guidance shall be developed in consultation with the 9 justice center for the protection of people with special needs. Persons 10 and officials required to report cases of suspected child abuse or 11 maltreatment shall have one year from the effective date of this subdi- 12 vision to receive such updated mandated reporter training. 13 § 2. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 2 of section 421 of the social 14 services law, as amended by section 7 of subpart A of part JJ of chapter 15 56 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows: 16 (c) issue guidelines to assist local child protective services in the 17 interpretation and assessment of reports of abuse and maltreatment made 18 to the statewide central register described in section four hundred 19 twenty-two of this article. Such guidelines shall include information, 20 standards and criteria for the identification of evidence of alleged 21 abuse and maltreatment as required to determine whether a report may be 22 indicated pursuant to this article. Provided further, the office of 23 children and family services shall update such guidelines, standards and 24 criteria issued to the local child protective services to include proto- EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD10847-03-3
A. 7366 2 1 cols to reduce implicit bias in the decision-making processes, strate- 2 gies for identifying adverse childhood experiences as defined in para- 3 graph (c) of subdivision one of section twenty-d of this chapter, [and] 4 guidelines to assist in recognizing signs of abuse or maltreatment while 5 interacting virtually, and guidance on identifying an abused or 6 maltreated child when such child is an individual with an intellectual 7 or developmental disability as defined in section 1.03 of the mental 8 hygiene law. The office may utilize existing programs or materials 9 established pursuant to section twenty-d of this chapter. 10 § 3. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a 11 law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment, and/or repeal of 12 any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on 13 its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before 14 such effective date.