New York Senate Bill S09782

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/6/26
• Refer: 4/6/26

Caption

Relates to expanding the persons responsible for reporting cases of suspected child abuse to include employees, volunteers, or agents of any corporate entity having an agreement with a municipality as a tier II facility or any other shelter providing temporary housing to persons under the age of 18.

Summary

S09782 would amend New York’s child abuse reporting law to add a new category of mandated reporters. Specifically, it would require employees, volunteers, or agents of a corporate entity operating a municipality-contracted tier II facility, as well as any other shelter that provides temporary housing to people under age 18, to report suspected child abuse or maltreatment when they have reasonable cause to suspect abuse. The bill leaves the existing reporting framework intact and simply expands the list of professionals and workers who must make reports under Social Services Law section 413. The measure is aimed at settings where minors may be temporarily housed outside of traditional child welfare or school environments, such as shelters serving youth or families. It would take effect immediately upon enactment and would place these shelter-related personnel under the same legal reporting obligations that already apply to teachers, medical professionals, social workers, child care workers, law enforcement, and other mandated reporters.

Impact

The bill would amend section 413 of the Social Services Law by broadening the class of mandated reporters for suspected child abuse and maltreatment. As a result, covered shelter personnel would be legally required to report suspected abuse to the appropriate authorities, increasing the number of adults in temporary housing settings who are obligated to act on signs of abuse. The practical effect would be to extend child-protection reporting duties to certain municipal shelter operators and other temporary housing providers serving minors, potentially increasing reports to child protective services and law enforcement.

Sentiment

No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no documented debate, recorded support, or opposition in the materials supplied. Based on the bill text and caption alone, the measure appears to be framed as a child-protection expansion rather than a controversial policy shift. The overall tone of the proposal is preventive and protective, focusing on ensuring that adults in shelter settings are included among those required to report suspected abuse.

Contention

The main potential point of contention is the scope of the new mandate: the bill would apply not only to employees but also to volunteers and agents of corporate entities operating tier II facilities or other shelters for minors. Stakeholders could question whether these individuals receive sufficient training, whether the reporting duty is clear in shelter environments, and whether the expansion could create compliance burdens for shelter operators. Another possible issue is how broadly “any other shelter providing temporary housing to persons under the age of 18” would be interpreted, since that language could reach a wide range of temporary housing arrangements.