NY Soc Serv L § 481-E (2021)
2021 New York Laws SOS - Social Services Article 10-A - William B. Hoyt Memorial Children and Family Trust Fund Act 481-E - William B. Hoyt Memorial Children and Family Trust Fund; Awarding of Grants.

§  481-e.  William  B.  Hoyt  Memorial children and family trust fund; awarding of grants. 1. The commissioner is hereby  authorized  to  issue grants  from funds credited to the William B. Hoyt Memorial children and family trust fund as provided in section four  hundred  eighty-one-f  of this  article  to public agencies or not-for-profit corporations for the purpose of establishing or extending any or all of the following:  (a) primary prevention programs;  (b) secondary prevention programs;  (c) programs which provide services to  victims  of  family  violence, such  as  establishing  temporary shelters and other emergency services; programs which provide or facilitate counseling,  or  other  appropriate follow-up services to victims and their family or household members; and any  other  program deemed helpful in the treatment of victims of family violence.   2. (a) Funds shall be awarded in the following manner:  forty  percent for  local  child  abuse  prevention  or  family  resource  and  support programs, forty  percent  for  local  domestic  violence  prevention  or service  programs  and  twenty  percent for regional or statewide family violence prevention programs; provided,  however,  that  any  unexpended portion  of such twenty percent as allocated shall be made available for local family violence prevention programs and provided further, however, that in determining the eligibility of any regional or statewide  family violence  prevention  program or of any local family violence prevention program for any part of such unexpended portion, the commissioner  shall give  first  consideration  to  those  programs which combine both child abuse prevention and domestic violence prevention.  (b) For a program which combines child abuse prevention  and  domestic violence  prevention, the commissioner shall predetermine, to the extent feasible, the percentage of concentration for each within  such  program and  shall apportion the total amount awarded between such forty percent allocation in the same proportion.   3. No moneys from  the  fund  established  pursuant  to  section  four hundred  eighty-one-f  of  this  article  shall  be granted for services mandated  under  this   chapter.   Funds   awarded   to   not-for-profit corporations   or   public   agencies  pursuant  to  the  provisions  of subdivision one of this section shall not  be  used  to  supplant  other federal, state or local funds.   4.  The  commissioner,  with  the  advice  and  recommendations of the William B. Hoyt Memorial children and family trust fund advisory  board, shall  issue  requests for proposals and specify methods to evaluate the effectiveness of proposed programs. Such evaluation  shall  include  but not be limited to the following:  (a)  appropriate  accounting and fiscal control procedures which shall include the filing of an annual financial statement by each provider  so as  to  ensure the proper disbursement and accounting for funds received by public agencies and not-for-profit corporations for services; and  (b) appropriate written records regarding the  population  served  and type and extent of services rendered by the provider; and  (c)  confidentiality standards in conformance with appropriate federal and state standards so as to ensure the confidentiality  of  records  of persons receiving services; and  (d)  nature  and  quality  of  services  provided and impacts upon the populations and communities served.   5. The commissioner shall solicit and shall select proposals  for  the provision  of  services funded pursuant to this act. Public agencies and not-for-profit  corporations  shall  be   eligible   for   purposes   of application  for grants provided for herein and subject to any rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to subdivision four of this section.    6. The commissioner, with the advice of the William B.  Hoyt  Memorial children  and  family  trust  fund  advisory  board, shall publicize the availability of funds to be used  for  purposes  of  this  section.  The commissioner  shall request, on prescribed forms, information determined to be necessary and relevant for the evaluation of each application. The commissioner  may  solicit  comments  on the applications from concerned individuals  and  agencies.  Applications  for  local  grants  shall  be submitted  to the local commissioner of social services and to the local youth bureau in the locality in  which  the  program  will  operate  and applicants  for  local  grants shall solicit comments on the application from such local commissioner of social services  and  such  local  youth bureau  prior  to  submitting  such  application  to  the  commissioner. Applicants shall inform the local commissioner of  social  services  and the  local  youth bureau that their comments upon the application may be submitted either to the applicant or to the commissioner or to both. The commissioner shall give full consideration to any such comments received within twenty-one days after the application deadline and  shall  review the applications in relation to relevant local plans before approving or disapproving  such applications. The commissioner shall inform the local commissioner of social services and the local youth bureau of the  final disposition of the applications. No grant award shall be for a period in excess  of  twelve  months  unless renewed by the commissioner, with the advice of the advisory board. The  initial  grant  and  the  first  year renewal,  if  any,  shall  not exceed one hundred percent of the cost of providing the service. The third year grant, if any,  shall  not  exceed seventy-five percent of the initial grant. The fourth year grant and any grant  thereafter, if any, shall not exceed fifty percent of the initial grant. No program shall receive funding after the fourth year unless the commissioner, annually, finds  that  the  program  effectively  prevents family  violence  or  provides  a necessary service to victims of family violence.   7. Pursuant to subdivision one of this section, the commissioner shall ensure  that  grants  are  awarded  evenly   across   the   state   with consideration  given to geographic areas with the greatest need and that priority is given to programs:  (a) which are innovative; or  (b) of demonstrated effectiveness; and/or  (c) illustrates the capacity to coordinate with established  community programs; and/or  (d)   which   can   demonstrate   a  potential  for  future  financial self-sufficiency.   8. The commissioner with the advice and recommendations of the William B. Hoyt Memorial children and family trust  fund  advisory  board  shall submit  a  report  prior  to  the fifteenth day of December beginning in nineteen hundred eighty-five and annually thereafter to the governor and the legislature regarding  the  implementation  and  evaluation  of  the effectiveness  of  prevention  and  treatment services related to family violence. Prior to submitting such  reports  to  the  governor  and  the legislature,  the commissioner shall permit the William B. Hoyt Memorial children and family trust fund advisory board to review and comment upon such reports. Such report shall include:  (a) the number of persons estimated to have been assisted in  programs covered by this section;  (b)  the  number,  recipients and amounts of grants to public agencies and not-for-profit corporations;  (c) the amount of public and private funds used for approved  programs by service type;  (d) the amount of funds used for the administration of such services;  (e)  a  description of the nature and quality of services provided and the impact  upon  the  populations  and  communities  served  and  their potential for being replicated elsewhere;  (f)  a description of how the moneys of the fund collected pursuant to section six hundred thirty-g of the tax law  were  utilized  during  the preceding calendar year, including information concerning:  (i)  the  amount of money disbursed from the fund and the distribution process used for such disbursements;  (ii) recipients of the expenses from the fund;  (iii) the amount allotted to each;  (iv) the purposes for which such distributions were granted; and  (v) a summary financial plan  for  such  monies  which  shall  include estimates  of  all  receipts  and  all disbursements for the current and succeeding fiscal years; and  (g) all such other matters as may be necessary to inform the  governor and  the  legislature regarding the implementation and evaluation of the effectiveness of programs covered by this section  and  the  success  of such programs in accomplishing the intent of the legislature.