Bill Text: NY S06386 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Authorizes service animals or therapy dogs to accompany victims of domestic violence at residential programs whenever such accompaniment is reasonable under the circumstances.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2016-03-11 - SIGNED CHAP.7 [S06386 Detail]
Download: New_York-2015-S06386-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6386--A Cal. No. 17 IN SENATE January 8, 2016 ___________ Introduced by Sen. CARLUCCI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules -- reported favora- bly from said committee, ordered to a third reading, passed by Senate and delivered to the Assembly, recalled, vote reconsidered, restored to third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place in the order of third reading AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to authorizing service animals or therapy dogs to accompany victims of domestic violence at residential programs; and to amend a chapter of the laws of 2015 amending the social services law, relating to authorizing service animals or therapy dogs to accompany victims of domestic violence at residential programs, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.5372 and A.6626, in relation to the effectiveness thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 459-b of the social services law, as amended by a 2 chapter of the laws of 2015 amending the social services law, relating 3 to authorizing service animals or therapy dogs to accompany victims of 4 domestic violence at residential programs, as proposed in legislative 5 bills numbers S.5372 and A.6626, is amended to read as follows: 6 § 459-b. Residential services for victims of domestic violence. In 7 accordance with section one hundred thirty-one-u of this chapter and the 8 regulations of the office of children and family services, a social 9 services district shall offer and provide necessary and available emer- 10 gency shelter and services for up to ninety days at a residential 11 program for victims of domestic violence to a victim of domestic 12 violence who was residing in the social services district at the time of 13 the alleged domestic violence whether or not such victim is eligible for 14 public assistance. Two forty-five day extensions of necessary and avail- 15 able emergency shelter may be granted beyond the maximum length of stay 16 at a residential program for victims of domestic violence for residents 17 who continue to be in need of emergency services and temporary shelter. 18 If the victim of domestic violence has a service animal as such term is 19 defined in section one hundred twenty-three-b of the agriculture and EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD09820-05-6