| 1 | 1 | | <STYLE><!--U {color: Green}S {color: RED} I {color: DARKBLUE; background-color:yellow} P.brk {page-break-before:always}--></STYLE> <BASEFONT SIZE=3> <PRE WIDTH="99"> <FONT SIZE=5><B> STATE OF NEW YORK</B></FONT> ________________________________________________________________________ 7948 2025-2026 Regular Sessions <FONT SIZE=5><B> IN ASSEMBLY</B></FONT> April 16, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. LAVINE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to state aid for library social work services; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof <B><U>The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-</U></B> <B><U>bly, do enact as follows:</U></B> 1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 273-b 2 to read as follows: 3 <B><U>§ 273-b. State aid awards for library social work services. 1. It is</U></B> 4 <B><U>the intent of this legislature to place social workers in libraries to</U></B> 5 <B><U>assist people who need access to greater resources and social services</U></B> 6 <B><U>assistance than what is currently available at a library without a</U></B> 7 <B><U>social worker. Libraries are friendly, hospitable, and restful public</U></B> 8 <B><U>spaces where people from a wide variety of backgrounds and all walks of</U></B> 9 <B><U>life gather to learn, connect with others, and rest. Libraries provide</U></B> 10 <B><U>an essential public good by connecting communities with opportunities to</U></B> 11 <B><U>upskill, seek education, and learn about resources to support basic</U></B> 12 <B><U>needs.</U></B> 13 <B><U>People view libraries as safe spaces for rest and learning, where they</U></B> 14 <B><U>can receive vital services for free. Libraries offer respite for all</U></B> 15 <B><U>community members, including the most vulnerable in our communities.</U></B> 16 <B><U>This includes those who are unhoused, those who cannot afford to cool</U></B> 17 <B><U>their homes during the summer, and those without broadband internet</U></B> 18 <B><U>access. As such, libraries are often the first to identify emerging</U></B> 19 <B><U>community issues as residents seek guidance and help from the library.</U></B> 20 <B><U>Many library patrons have needs that cannot be met by existing library</U></B> 21 <B><U>resources. Many needs extend beyond the scope of work of librarians, who</U></B> 22 <B><U>despite their best intentions to serve, are not trained nor equipped to</U></B> 23 <B><U>meet the wide range of social services challenges being faced by</U></B> 24 <B><U>patrons. These needs include housing assistance, mental health</U></B> EXPLANATION--Matter in <B><U>italics</U></B> (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [<B><S> </S></B>] is old law to be omitted. LBD09848-02-5 </PRE><P CLASS="brk"><PRE WIDTH="99"> A. 7948 2 1 <B><U>services, and help accessing other social services. The co-location of</U></B> 2 <B><U>social workers in libraries connects people who need assistance with the</U></B> 3 <B><U>workers who can help them. Placing social workers in libraries will</U></B> 4 <B><U>increase access to social services for those who need it the most and</U></B> 5 <B><U>will ensure better community health and wellbeing.</U></B> 6 <B><U>Furthermore, by creating dedicated funding for library social workers,</U></B> 7 <B><U>libraries can serve the social services needs of the community without</U></B> 8 <B><U>having to pull funding from other vital services such as buying books,</U></B> 9 <B><U>developing programming, and maintaining the upkeep of their library</U></B> 10 <B><U>buildings.</U></B> 11 <B><U>2. State aid shall be provided for social work services awards, pursu-</U></B> 12 <B><U>ant to subdivision five of this section, for salary and fringe benefits</U></B> 13 <B><U>of social workers and social worker supervisors, with responsibilities</U></B> 14 <B><U>and duties as detailed in subdivision six of this section, in public</U></B> 15 <B><U>libraries and public library systems that are located in or contain an</U></B> 16 <B><U>economically disadvantaged community, of such public libraries and</U></B> 17 <B><U>library systems chartered by the regents of the state of New York or</U></B> 18 <B><U>established by an act of the legislature, upon approval by the commis-</U></B> 19 <B><U>sioner. The term social work services shall be defined by the commis-</U></B> 20 <B><U>sioner in accordance with article one hundred fifty-four of this chap-</U></B> 21 <B><U>ter. The state liability for aid awards paid pursuant to this section</U></B> 22 <B><U>shall be limited to funds appropriated for such purpose. Awards shall be</U></B> 23 <B><U>provided on approved expenses incurred during the period commencing July</U></B> 24 <B><U>first and ending June thirtieth for up to three years; provided, howev-</U></B> 25 <B><U>er, that such award shall be payable to each public library upon</U></B> 26 <B><U>approval of the application by the department in a manner that ensures</U></B> 27 <B><U>award effectiveness over a three year period.</U></B> 28 <B><U>3. Each single social work services award application for state aid</U></B> 29 <B><U>allocated under this section that requests a social worker shall be</U></B> 30 <B><U>submitted by the board of trustees of the public library responsible for</U></B> 31 <B><U>the operation of such social work services award to the commissioner for</U></B> 32 <B><U>the commissioner's review and approval, after having been reviewed and</U></B> 33 <B><U>approved by the governing board of the public library system of which</U></B> 34 <B><U>such public library is a member. Each single social work services award</U></B> 35 <B><U>application requesting a social worker shall:</U></B> 36 <B><U>a. demonstrate that resources are or shall be available to provide for</U></B> 37 <B><U>maximum utilization of the social work services award if approved;</U></B> 38 <B><U>b. demonstrate that such social work services award would enhance</U></B> 39 <B><U>community building and expand access to social services as a consequence</U></B> 40 <B><U>of approval;</U></B> 41 <B><U>c. be limited to one award concerning such social work services,</U></B> 42 <B><U>provided that no single public library building shall be the subject of</U></B> 43 <B><U>more than one single submitted or approved application at one time;</U></B> 44 <B><U>d. contain documentation demonstrating how the award will address the</U></B> 45 <B><U>service needs of one or more economically disadvantaged communities.</U></B> 46 <B><U>Such documentation may demonstrate need, including, but not limited to,</U></B> 47 <B><U>poverty rates, concentrations of English language learners, low high</U></B> 48 <B><U>school graduation rates, limited fiscal capacity or other relevant</U></B> 49 <B><U>factors; and</U></B> 50 <B><U>e. provide such other information as may be required by the commis-</U></B> 51 <B><U>sioner.</U></B> 52 <B><U>4. Each single social work services award application for state aid</U></B> 53 <B><U>allocated under this section that requests a social worker supervisor</U></B> 54 <B><U>shall be submitted by the public library system. The public library</U></B> 55 <B><U>system shall be responsible for managing all social worker supervisors</U></B> 56 <B><U>and shall enter into cost sharing agreements with public libraries, if</U></B> </PRE><P CLASS="brk"><PRE WIDTH="99"> A. 7948 3 1 <B><U>such agreement would be effective and better effectuate the award</U></B> 2 <B><U>requirements as detailed in subdivisions two and three of this section.</U></B> 3 <B><U>Each award application requesting a social work supervisor shall be</U></B> 4 <B><U>approved by the board of trustees of each participating library and</U></B> 5 <B><U>library system responsible for the operation of such social work</U></B> 6 <B><U>services award application. Social work services award applications</U></B> 7 <B><U>requesting a social work supervisor shall be submitted to the commis-</U></B> 8 <B><U>sioner for the commissioner's review and approval, after having been</U></B> 9 <B><U>reviewed and approved by the governing board of the public library</U></B> 10 <B><U>system of which such libraries are members. Each social work award</U></B> 11 <B><U>application requesting a social work supervisor shall:</U></B> 12 <B><U>a. demonstrate that resources are or shall be available to provide for</U></B> 13 <B><U>maximum utilization of the social work services award if approved;</U></B> 14 <B><U>b. demonstrate that such social work services award would enhance</U></B> 15 <B><U>community building and expand access to social services as a consequence</U></B> 16 <B><U>of approval;</U></B> 17 <B><U>c. be limited to one award concerning such social work services,</U></B> 18 <B><U>provided that no single public library building shall be the subject of</U></B> 19 <B><U>more than one single submitted or approved application at one time;</U></B> 20 <B><U>d. contain documentation demonstrating how the award will address the</U></B> 21 <B><U>service needs of one or more economically disadvantaged communities.</U></B> 22 <B><U>Such documentation may demonstrate need, including, but not limited to,</U></B> 23 <B><U>poverty rates, concentrations of English language learners, low high</U></B> 24 <B><U>school graduation rates, limited fiscal capacity or other relevant</U></B> 25 <B><U>factors; and</U></B> 26 <B><U>e. provide such other information as may be required by the commis-</U></B> 27 <B><U>sioner.</U></B> 28 <B><U>5. The commissioner shall determine award amounts, including salary</U></B> 29 <B><U>and fringe benefit packages, for social workers and social worker super-</U></B> 30 <B><U>visors based on average salaries per region, for the maximum award per</U></B> 31 <B><U>library and library system for awards that are applied for and approved.</U></B> 32 <B><U>6. a. Public libraries with approved social work services awards shall</U></B> 33 <B><U>ensure that social workers operating under such award shall perform</U></B> 34 <B><U>social work services for members of the public that attend such public</U></B> 35 <B><U>library.</U></B> 36 <B><U>b. Public library systems who receive grant fund awards shall ensure</U></B> 37 <B><U>that social worker supervisors, employed by the system, operating under</U></B> 38 <B><U>such grant awards shall oversee every social worker, employed by the</U></B> 39 <B><U>public library in the jurisdiction of the public library system through</U></B> 40 <B><U>the grant program.</U></B> 41 <B><U>7. Any funds made available pursuant to this section which by April</U></B> 42 <B><U>first of each succeeding fiscal year are declined by such public</U></B> 43 <B><U>libraries or public library systems for any reason or which cannot</U></B> 44 <B><U>otherwise be used by such public libraries or public library systems for</U></B> 45 <B><U>any reason, shall be made available by the commissioner to other public</U></B> 46 <B><U>libraries and public library systems that are located in or contain an</U></B> 47 <B><U>economically disadvantaged community.</U></B> 48 <B><U>8. The commissioner shall, in consultation with the president of the</U></B> 49 <B><U>state civil service commission, if necessary, adopt rules and regu-</U></B> 50 <B><U>lations as are necessary to carry out the purposes and provisions of</U></B> 51 <B><U>this section.</U></B> 52 <B><U>9. The commissioner shall submit to the temporary president of the</U></B> 53 <B><U>senate and the speaker of the assembly an annual report describing those</U></B> 54 <B><U>social work services awards that have received state funding and the</U></B> 55 <B><U>communities to be served by those awards. Such annual report shall</U></B> 56 <B><U>include the effectiveness of each approved award, the number of persons</U></B> </PRE><P CLASS="brk"><PRE WIDTH="99"> A. 7948 4 1 <B><U>assisted by an award's social work services, the type, scope, and prac-</U></B> 2 <B><U>tices of such services offered by each approved award and recommenda-</U></B> 3 <B><U>tions for the expansion of the social work services program to all</U></B> 4 <B><U>public libraries and public library systems in the state, including</U></B> 5 <B><U>specific actionable items. The commissioner shall require all social</U></B> 6 <B><U>work services awardees to submit to the department such information</U></B> 7 <B><U>necessary for the effectuation of such annual report.</U></B> 8 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 9 have become a law and shall expire and be deemed repealed three years 10 after such date. |
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