A 8855: Establishes the detention support program in the office for new Americans to provide financial assistance to individuals and families of detained persons, including for bond payments to secure release from detention and travel stipends to facilitate visitation with detained individuals; establishes the detention support program fund.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8855 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY June 9, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. FORREST -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Governmental Operations AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing the detention support program; and to amend the state finance law, in relation to establishing the detention support program fund The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 94-b of the executive law is amended by adding a 2 new subdivision 6 to read as follows: 3 6. Detention support program. (a) There is hereby established, within 4 the office, the detention support fund program. The purpose of the 5 program shall be to distribute funds from the detention support program 6 fund established pursuant to section ninety-nine-ss of the state finance 7 law to provide financial assistance to individuals and families of 8 detained persons, including but not limited to: 9 (i) Bond payments to secure release from detention; and 10 (ii) Travel stipends to facilitate visitation with detained individ- 11 uals, both in and out of the state. 12 (b) (i) The office shall establish eligibility criteria to receive a 13 grant or reimbursement from the program. Such criteria shall prioritize 14 individuals and families facing financial hardship. 15 (ii) The office shall establish a grant or reimbursement process by 16 which program funds shall be distributed. Such process may require 17 applicants to submit specific documentation to determine eligibility to 18 receive a grant or reimbursement from the fund. 19 (iii) The office shall coordinate with community-based organizations 20 to ensure accessibility to the program and outreach to individuals who 21 may be eligible to receive a grant or reimbursement from the program. 22 (c) (i) The office shall submit an annual report to the governor and 23 the legislature which shall include, but not be limited to: the total EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD11600-01-5 
 A. 8855 2 1 amount of program funds disbursed; the number of individuals assisted by 2 the program; and recommendations for future funding adjustments. 3 (ii) The office shall ensure transparency by maintaining publicly 4 available data on the expenditure of program funds; provided, however, 5 that such data shall exclude personally identifiable information. 6 § 2. Paragraph (n) of subdivision 5 of section 94-b of the executive 7 law, as amended by chapter 625 of the laws of 2024, is amended to read 8 as follows: 9 (n) Beginning in two thousand fifteen, by June fifteenth of each year, 10 produce a report to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, and the 11 temporary president of the senate describing the activities of the 12 office, including but not limited to, summarizing calls received through 13 the hotline and website, information on ESOL training services provided 14 by the office, the number of immigrants assisted through the opportunity 15 centers, or an estimation thereof, the status of any workforce develop- 16 ment programs, information on the detention support program established 17 pursuant to subdivision six of this section, and any other relevant 18 information; 19 § 3. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-ss to 20 read as follows: 21 § 99-ss. Detention support program fund. 1. There is hereby estab- 22 lished, in the joint custody of the comptroller and the commissioner of 23 taxation and finance a fund to be known as the detention support program 24 fund. 25 2. Such fund shall consist of all moneys appropriated for the purpose 26 of such fund, all other moneys required to be paid into, transferred or 27 credited to such fund, and all moneys received by the fund or donated to 28 it. 29 3. Moneys of the detention support program fund shall be expended 30 solely for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of the detention 31 support program established pursuant to subdivision six of section nine- 32 ty-four-b of the executive law. Moneys shall be paid out of the fund on 33 the audit and warrant of the state comptroller on vouchers approved by 34 the director of the office for new Americans. Any interest received by 35 the comptroller on moneys on deposit in the detention support program 36 fund shall be retained in and become part of such fund. 37 § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day 38 after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, 39 amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the 40 implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be 41 made and completed on or before such effective date.