A 9035: Establishes a task force on victim services reimbursements to study laws, rules and regulations to modernize funding for victim services providers.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 9035 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY September 5, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. MAHER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to creating a task force on victim services reimbursements; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 637 to 2 read as follows: 3 § 637. Task force on victim services reimbursements. 1. The task force 4 on the state of victim services reimbursements is hereby created within 5 the office to examine, evaluate, and determine how to improve the 6 reimbursement process between the office and all applicable subsid- 7 iaries. 8 2. (a) Such task force shall consist of twelve members, each to serve 9 for a term of one calendar year. Such members shall be appointed as 10 follows: Two members shall be appointed by the temporary president of 11 the senate; one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the 12 senate; two members shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly; 13 one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly; 14 Two members shall be appointed by the director of the office of victim 15 services; Two members shall be appointed by the commissioner of the 16 division of criminal justice services or such commissioner's designee; 17 and the remaining members shall be appointed by the governor. Appoint- 18 ments shall be made within sixty days of the effective date of this 19 section. Vacancies in the task force shall be filled in the manner 20 provided for original appointments. 21 (b) All appointees shall have expertise in fields or disciplines 22 related to victim services and support services to victims including, 23 but not limited to, the following areas: domestic violence, trauma 24 assistance, disaster recovery, gender-based violence, sexual violence, EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD10948-01-5 
 A. 9035 2 1 victim compensation, and community-victim assistance programs. All 2 appointments shall be coordinated to ensure geographic representation 3 from the entire state. 4 (c) The task force shall be chaired by the commissioner or selected by 5 the commissioner from the appointed members. The task force shall elect 6 a vice-chair and other necessary officers from among all appointed 7 members. 8 (d) A majority of the members of the task force then in office shall 9 constitute a quorum for the transaction of business or the exercise of 10 any power or function of the task force. An act, determination or deci- 11 sion of the majority of the members present during the presence of a 12 quorum shall be held to be the act, determination, or decision of the 13 task force. 14 (e) The task force shall meet at least quarterly at the call of the 15 chair. Meetings may be held via teleconference. Special meetings may be 16 called by the chair at the request of a majority of the members of the 17 task force. 18 (f) Members of the task force shall receive no compensation for their 19 services but shall be reimbursed for their actual expenses incurred in 20 the performance of their duties in the work of the task force. 21 3. The task force established shall: 22 (a) study laws, rules, and regulations governing the processes that 23 make victim services reimbursement requests unsustainable for domestic 24 violence and anti-trafficking nonprofits, including but not limited to 25 reimbursement rates, support assistance amounts, funding models, and 26 lack of sustainable funding models; 27 (b) study laws, rules, and regulations governing the operations of 28 victim services providers; and 29 (c) recommend ways by which to modernize the laws governing funding 30 for victim services providers provided. 31 4. The task force may establish such advisory committees as it deems 32 appropriate on matters relating to the task force's functions, powers 33 and duties. Such committees shall be chaired by a task force member, but 34 may be composed of task force members as well as other individuals 35 selected by the task force to provide expertise of interest specific to 36 the charge of such committee. 37 5. The task force may, as it deems appropriate, request that studies, 38 surveys, or analyses relating to the task force's powers and duties be 39 performed by any state department, commission, agency or public authori- 40 ty. All state departments, commissions, agencies or public authorities 41 shall provide information and advice in a timely manner and otherwise 42 assist the task force with its work. 43 6. The office shall provide staff services to the task force and such 44 other administrative assistance as may be necessary for the task force 45 to carry out its duties, functions and powers. 46 7. The task force shall hold a minimum of three public hearings: one 47 in New York city; one in western New York; and one in upstate eastern 48 New York. The task force may hold additional public hearings in other 49 locations as it deems appropriate. 50 8. The task force shall make a preliminary report to the governor and 51 the legislature of its findings, conclusions, recommendations and activ- 52 ities already undertaken by the task force, not later than one year 53 after the effective date of this section, and a final report of its 54 findings, conclusions, recommendations and activities already undertaken 55 by the task force, not later than two years after the effective date of 
 A. 9035 3 1 this section and shall submit with its reports legislative proposals as 2 it deems necessary to implement its recommendations. 3 § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall 4 have become a law and shall expire twenty-four months after it shall 5 have become a law when upon such date the provisions of this act shall 6 be deemed repealed.