The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) provides a variety of services for youth, including runaway and homeless youth, including those young people who have been sexually exploited. The Department of Parks and Recreation, Department of Homeless Services, and Human Resources Administration/Department of Social Services also regularly come into contact with sexually exploited children through their programming. This bill would require the establishment of a training coordinator, in an agency chosen by the Mayor, to teach certain agency staff how to identify runaway, homeless or sexually exploited youth and how connect them with appropriate services. The coordinator will conduct the training with the agency employees of the ACS, the Department of Parks and Recreation, Department of Homeless Services, and Human Resources Administration/Department of Social Services who are regularly in contact with youth. The coordinator will also be responsible for outreach efforts to other entities including, but not limited to, the Department of Education, Police Department, and Department of Probation, as well as health clinics, libraries and hospitals.
- Enacted
History
Affirmative
- Inez D. Barron
- Joseph C. Borelli
- James G. Van Bramer
- Fernando Cabrera
- Margaret S. Chin
- Andrew Cohen
- Costa G. Constantinides
- Robert E. Cornegy, Jr.
- Elizabeth S. Crowley
- Laurie A. Cumbo
- Chaim M. Deutsch
- Inez E. Dickens
- Daniel Dromm
- Rafael L. Espinal, Jr.
- Mathieu Eugene
- Julissa Ferreras-Copeland
- Vincent J. Gentile
- Vanessa L. Gibson
- David G. Greenfield
- Barry S. Grodenchik
- Corey D. Johnson
- Ben Kallos
- Andy L. King
- Peter A. Koo
- Karen Koslowitz
- Rory I. Lancman
- Brad S. Lander
- Stephen T. Levin
- Mark Levine
- Alan N. Maisel
- Melissa Mark-Viverito
- Steven Matteo
- Darlene Mealy
- Rosie Mendez
- I. Daneek Miller
- Annabel Palma
- Antonio Reynoso
- Donovan J. Richards
- Ydanis A. Rodriguez
- Helen K. Rosenthal
- Rafael Salamanca, Jr.
- Ritchie J. Torres
- Mark Treyger
- Eric A. Ulrich
- James Vacca
- Paul A. Vallone
- Jumaane D. Williams
Medical
Affirmative
Int. No. 554-A
By Council Members Eugene, Chin, Gentile, Gibson, Koo, Mendez, Rodriguez, Menchaca, Constantinides, Van Bramer, Palma, Mealy, Cumbo and Kallos
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to training on runaway, homeless or sexually exploited youth
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Subchapter 1 of chapter 1 of title 3 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 3-118 to read as follows:
§ 3-118 Training regarding homeless, runaway or sexually exploited youth.
a. For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
Homeless youth. The term "homeless youth" means persons under the age of 21 who are in need of services and are without a place of shelter where supervision and care are available.
Runaway youth. The term "runaway youth" means persons under the age of 18 years who are absent from their legal residence without the consent of their parent, legal guardian or custodian.
Sexually exploited youth. The term “sexually exploited youth” means persons under the age of 18 who have been subject to sexual exploitation because they (a) are the victim of the crime of sex trafficking as defined in section 230.34 of the penal law; (b) engage in any act as defined in section 230.00 of the penal law; (c) are a victim of the crime of compelling prostitution as defined in section 230.33 of the penal law; or (d) engage in acts or conduct described in article 263 or section 240.37 of the penal law. The term shall also mean persons under the age of 18 who have been subject to incest in the third degree, second degree or first degree, as defined in sections 255.25, 255.26, and 255.27 of the penal law, respectively, or any of the sex offenses enumerated in article 130 of the penal law.
b. There shall be established a training coordinator, to be located in an agency designated by the mayor, who shall provide coordination, direction and guidance with respect to the provision of annual trainings to individuals whose positions involve regular contact with youth, focusing on best practices for identifying runaway, homeless or sexually exploited youth, and for connecting such youth to appropriate services. Such training shall be provided to the employees of the administration for children’s services, the department of parks and recreation, the department of homeless services, and the human resources administration/department of social services.
c. The coordinator shall work with each agency identified in subdivision b of this section to identify employees whose job qualifications make them best suited for such training. The coordinator shall also be responsible for outreach efforts to other entities, including but not limited to the department of education, police department, the department of probation, health clinics, libraries, and hospitals, including emergency rooms, to encourage them to consider whether trainings similar to the ones described in this section would be appropriate for their personnel.
d. As a condition of the contract with any of the agencies identified in subdivision b of this section, contractors and service providers shall provide to their employees whose positions involve regular contact with youth the training described in this section, and shall certify to the city agency responsible for such contract that such training has been conducted.
e. The trainings required by this section shall be conducted in person, or through a web-based system capable of accepting, transmitting and displaying messages between a trainee and either a trainer or a provider entity, for the purpose of allowing question and answer upon receipt, or both, or through another platform or application that has been developed for such purposes.
§ 2. This local law shall take effect 90 days after its enactment; provided, however, that the requirements set forth in subdivision d of section 3-118 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as added by this local law, shall apply only to contracts solicited or renewed on or after such effective date.
KG
LS 2630
3/14/2016
630p