A 726: Requires that attorneys be available to parents of minors; requires that all interactions with children by child protective services and the administration for children's services are videotaped.
The proposed law aims to improve accountability and transparency in family court proceedings and interactions with children by child protective services. Parents of minors involved in family court proceedings should have access to their own chosen counsel or be assigned counsel if they cannot afford it. This representation should be available throughout the entire process, including before a petition is filed, during arraignment proceedings, and in the courthouse intake process. Additionally, all interactions between child protective services and the children they are assigned to investigate or work with should be recorded on video. This ensures that the investigations and proceedings are conducted in a transparent manner. The new law also applies to the administration for children's services in New York City, requiring all interactions with children to be recorded on video. The propose…
| Jan. 07, 2026 | referred to children and families |
| Jan. 08, 2025 | referred to children and families |
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 726 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Children and Families AN ACT to amend the family court act, in relation to requiring that attorneys be available to parents of minors involved in a family court proceeding; and to amend the social services law and the New York city charter, in relation to requiring that all interactions with children by child protective services and the administration for children's services are videotaped The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Article 2 of the family court act is amended by adding a 2 new part 7 to read as follows: 3 PART 7 4 ATTORNEYS FOR PARENTS 5 Section 270. Attorneys for parents. 6 § 270. Attorneys for parents. Parents of minors who are the subject of 7 family court proceedings or appeals in proceedings originating in the 8 family court should be represented by counsel of their own choosing or, 9 if a parent or parents so choose not to hire counsel on their own, then 10 counsel shall be assigned to them. Such representation of counsel shall 11 be available or assigned to parents throughout proceedings in their 12 entirety, including, but not limited to, before a petition is filed, at 13 arraignment proceedings, and throughout the courthouse intake process. 14 § 2. The social services law is amended by adding a new section 422-d 15 to read as follows: 16 § 422-d. Video monitoring of interaction with children. The office of 17 children and family services shall ensure that all interactions between 18 members of child protective services and the children they are assigned 19 to investigate or work with shall be recorded on video, in order to EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD02292-01-5A. 726 2 1 promote accountability and transparency in the investigations and 2 proceedings conducted by child protective services. 3 § 3. The New York city charter is amended by adding a new section 619 4 to read as follows: 5 § 619. Video monitoring of interaction with children. The commissioner 6 shall ensure all interactions between members of the administration for 7 children's services and the children they are assigned to investigate or 8 work with shall be recorded on video, in order to promote accountability 9 and transparency in the investigations and proceedings conducted by the 10 administration. 11 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.