S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

    S. 6343                                                  A. 8429

                      S E N A T E - A S S E M B L Y

                            January 15, 2014
                               ___________

IN SENATE -- Introduced by Sen. KENNEDY -- read twice and ordered print-
  ed,  and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Children and
  Families

IN ASSEMBLY -- Introduced by M. of A. PEOPLES-STOKES --  read  once  and
  referred to the Committee on Children and Families

AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to staff qualifica-
  tions  for  non-supervisory  and supervisory child protective services
  workers

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subdivision 4 of section 421 of
the social services law, paragraph (a) as amended and paragraph  (b)  as
added  by  chapter  525  of  the  laws  of  2006, are amended to read as
follows:
  (a) after consultation  with  the  local  child  protective  services,
promulgate regulations relating to staff qualifications for non-supervi-
sory  child  protective  services  workers, prescribing [any] AT LEAST A
baccalaureate or equivalent college degree IN SOCIAL  WORK,  PSYCHOLOGY,
COUNSELING  and/or  relevant  [human service] experience IN LAW ENFORCE-
MENT, COUNSELING OR WORK WITH  MENTAL  HEALTH  OR  COGNITIVELY  IMPAIRED
PERSONS  AND CHILDREN as requirements. Such requirements shall not apply
to persons currently employed by such child protective services who were
hired before [January first, nineteen hundred eighty-six] THE  EFFECTIVE
DATE  OF  THE  CHAPTER OF THE LAWS OF TWO THOUSAND FOURTEEN THAT AMENDED
THIS PARAGRAPH.
  (b) after consultation  with  the  local  child  protective  services,
promulgate  regulations  relating  to  staff  qualifications  for  those
assigned to be supervisors of child  protective  services[,  prescribing
any  baccalaureate  or  equivalent  college degree and/or relevant human
services experience as requirements]. Provided, however, that such regu-
lations shall at a minimum provide that those assigned to be supervisors
of child protective services have [either a baccalaureate]  AT  LEAST  A
MASTER'S degree [or three] IN SOCIAL WORK, PSYCHOLOGY, COUNSELING AND/OR

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                           LBD13160-07-4

S. 6343                             2                            A. 8429

TEN  years  of  relevant work experience in [a human services field] LAW
ENFORCEMENT, COUNSELING  OR  WORK  WITH  MENTAL  HEALTH  OR  COGNITIVELY
IMPAIRED  PERSONS  AND  CHILDREN.   Such requirements shall not apply to
persons  currently assigned to be a child protective services supervisor
who were hired before [December first, two thousand six]  THE  EFFECTIVE
DATE  OF  THE  CHAPTER OF THE LAWS OF TWO THOUSAND FOURTEEN THAT AMENDED
THIS PARAGRAPH.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.