Signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes an education, labor, housing, and family assistance budget for the fiscal year 2019-2020.

Highlights:

• Appropriates $8,479,000 to the Housing Trust Fund Corporation for the purposes of the neighborhood preservation program for the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2020 (Part G).

• Requires the Office of Children and Family Services to promote regulations requiring operators, program directors, employees and assistants of family day care homes, group family day care homes, school-age child care programs and child day care centers to receive pre-services and annual training, provided that such providers will be required to receive 30 hours of training every two years, also also requires the following (Part H):

• Any individuals or provider who is already in compliance with this requirement prior to the effective date of this bill, will only be required to complete any additional federal training requirements which have not already been completed in order to be deemed in compliance.

• Requires 15 hours of such training to be received within the first 6 months of the initial licensure, registration, or employment.

• Requires the Office of Children and Family Services to conduct the following, but not limited to, types of background clearances for child care providers (Part H):

• A criminal history record check with the division of Criminal Justice Services;

• A search of the criminal history repository in each state other than New York where the person resides or resided during the preceding five years;

• A national criminal record check with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Division of Criminal Justice Services is directed to submit fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the purpose of a nationwide criminal history record check to determine whether the person has a criminal history in any other state or federal jurisdiction;

• A search of the New York state sex offender registry;

• A search of any state sex offender registry in each state other than New York where they person resides or resided during the preceding five years;

• A search of the national sex offender registry using the Nation Crime and Information Center; and

• A database check of the statewide central register of child abuse and maltreatment.

• Authorizes eligible expenditures by a municipality during a particular program year for the care, maintenance, and supervision detention facilities for youth alleged to be juvenile delinquents and adjudicated juvenile delinquents held pending their transfer to a facility prior to January 1, 2020, youth alleged to be persons in need of supervision or adjudicated persons in need of supervision held pending transfer to a facility upon placement in foster care programs certified by the Office of Children and Family Services, certified or approved foster boarding homes and non-secure detention facilities certified by the office (Part K).