Bill Text: NY S05958 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires the director of the office for the aging to establish or approve a sexual discrimination training program; requires the director to regularly update the intake form used to assess individuals seeking to participate in programs or services offered by the office to reflect current professional standards.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-12-20 - approval memo.68 [S05958 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S05958-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          5958

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                      May 16, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  read  twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Aging

        AN ACT to amend the elder law, in relation to the state office  for  the
          aging sexual discrimination training program

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Section 203 of the elder law is amended by adding  two  new
     2  subdivisions 13 and 14 to read as follows:
     3    13. (a) The director shall establish or approve a training program for
     4  the  purpose  of  raising  awareness,  removing  barriers  and improving
     5  services for older adults based on their sexual orientation  and  gender
     6  identity  or  expression as defined in section two hundred ninety-two of
     7  the executive law.   For the purposes  of  this  subdivision,  the  term
     8  "training  program"  shall  mean  a  course  of learning or professional
     9  development,  in  person  or  online,  administered  or  provided  by  a
    10  national,  state,  or  local  agency, nonprofit, advocacy group, profes-
    11  sional  organization,  or  association.  Such  training  program   shall
    12  include, but not be limited to:
    13    (i) an overview of the history, unique needs, and concerns of lesbian,
    14  gay,  bisexual,  transgender,  asexual, gender non-conforming and gender
    15  non-binary older adults;
    16    (ii) reasons why lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, asexual,  gender
    17  non-conforming  and  gender  non-binary  older  adults may choose not to
    18  self-identify;
    19    (iii) tools employees can use to incorporate lesbian,  gay,  bisexual,
    20  transgender,  asexual, gender non-conforming and gender non-binary older
    21  adult concerns into direct care and steps employees can take to  improve
    22  the quality of services and support they provide; and
    23    (iv) a list of resources where employees can learn more.
    24    (b)  Such  training  program  shall  be  completed by employees of the
    25  office, employees of area agencies on aging, and providers who  contract

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11492-02-9
        S. 5958                             2

     1  with  the  office  or  area agencies on aging who provide direct care to
     2  older  adults.  Employers  shall  maintain  adequate  documentation   of
     3  completion  on behalf of required employees, and provide such documenta-
     4  tion  at  the  request  of  the  employee or the office. Nothing in this
     5  subdivision shall prevent employees from completing any  other  training
     6  required nor shall it prevent such approved training from being combined
     7  with any other required training.
     8    14.  The director, in consultation with lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-
     9  gender, asexual, gender non-conforming and gender non-binary older adult
    10  advocates, shall regularly update the intake form used to  assess  indi-
    11  viduals  seeking  to  participate in programs or services offered by the
    12  office to reflect current professional standards. This may include,  but
    13  is  not  limited  to,  definitions, categories, or questions relating to
    14  sex, gender, gender identity,  gender  expression,  sexual  orientation,
    15  preferred  pronouns,  or  family of choice. The office shall continue to
    16  prioritize  confidentiality  and  promote  self-identification  for  the
    17  purposes  of  providing  appropriate,  relevant services to the lesbian,
    18  gay, bisexual, transgender, asexual, gender  non-conforming  and  gender
    19  non-binary older adult community.
    20    § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    21  it shall have become a law.