A 718: Relates to incorporating the cost of living adjustment into subsequent annual maximum state aid base rates for providing care to foster children.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 718 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. HEVESI -- read once and referred to the Committee on Children and Families AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to incorporating the cost of living adjustment into subsequent maximum state aid rates The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 398-a of the social services law, 2 as amended by section 20 of part C of chapter 83 of the laws of 2002, is 3 amended to read as follows: 4 (2) The office of children and family services shall promulgate, 5 subject to consultation with appropriate state agencies, the approval of 6 the director of the budget and certification to the [chairmen] chair- 7 persons of the senate finance and assembly ways and means committees, 8 regulations establishing standards of payment for care provided to 9 foster children when the care of such children is subject to public 10 financial support, when such care is provided by relatives, authorized 11 agencies, family boarding homes, or state agencies. Such standards of 12 payment shall include the care required to be provided for foster chil- 13 dren and the cost of such care. When the office of children and family 14 services has established such standards, reimbursement under subdivision 15 two of section one hundred fifty-three-k of this chapter, for the care 16 of foster children shall be limited in accordance with such standards. 17 Provided, however, notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law to 18 the contrary, when a cost of living adjustment is provided in accordance 19 with a chapter of the laws of such year, the office of children and 20 family services shall ensure such adjustment is subsequently included 21 and incorporated as part of the next base payment rate established for 22 providing care to foster children and every subsequent maximum state aid 23 rate established thereafter. Provided, further, such adjustment shall be 24 in addition to any cost of living adjustment that may be provided in a EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01341-01-5 
 A. 718 2 1 subsequent state fiscal year, as well as any additional trend factors or 2 staff retention factors that the office of children and family services 3 may apply to eligible programs. Nothing herein shall preclude the office 4 of children and family services from applying additional trend factors 5 or staff retention factors that a program may be eligible for. 6 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that 7 the amendments to subdivision 2 of section 398-a of the social services 8 law made by section one of this act shall not affect the repeal of such 9 subdivision and shall be deemed repealed therewith.