Asm. Andrew Hevesi

The bill makes three technical amendments to prior child abuse reporting law: removes duplicative confidentiality provisions, changes reference from specific HEARS Line to general preventative services, and creates an exception allowing anonymous reports if the caller is reasonably believed to be under 18. Ms. Walsh expressed strong opposition, arguing the bill eliminates anonymous reporting for adults and will chill reporting of abuse/neglect by neighbors, grandparents, and non-mandated reporters who fear retaliation. She cited a recent case where anonymous calls saved the lives of severely malnourished children. The sponsor and supporters argued the exception for minors addresses child self-reporting concerns and that the bill addresses misuse of the registry system.

Asm. Walsh praised the bill as addressing the dignity of foster children, noting that children often moved between homes with their belongings in garbage bags. A chapter amendment shifted responsibility for purchasing and distributing luggage from the Office of Children and Family Services to local districts, while authorizing state reimbursement to prevent unfunded mandates on localities.

Argued that anonymous reporting enables malicious false reports, facilitates domestic violence abuser harassment, and perpetuates racial bias in child protective services. Noted that only 7 percent of calls are anonymous and 30 percent result in indicated cases. Emphasized the bill includes safeguards: supervisor review, referral to 911 for immediate complaints, and HEARS community service line referrals.

Thanked the sponsor for the thoughtful approach to the bill.

Hevesi argued the $25 million investment is cost-effective because it prevents family separation, which costs more through foster care and court proceedings. He emphasized that supervised visitation protects children's fundamental right to maintain parental contact and that judicial discretion ensures orders are limited to appropriate cases.

Credited Sophie Vachona, a young woman with experience as both homeless and in foster care, for originating the idea. Noted that $200,000 will provide luggage to 13,000 children and thanked colleagues for their support.

Explained that youth waive Miranda rights at high rates and confess three times more than adults due to developmental incapacity. The bill requires attorney consultation before interrogation (non-waivable), immediate parent notification with reasonable effort exception for unsafe scenes, and automatic exclusion of statements taken without counsel. Cited Supreme Court precedent and developmental science showing youth cannot knowingly and voluntarily waive constitutional rights.

Sponsor argued that children lack cognitive capacity to understand Miranda rights and that parents cannot effectively waive rights due to financial concerns, lack of legal knowledge, and socialization to comply with authority. Cited national exoneration data showing 25 juveniles wrongfully convicted in New York since 1989, and a 2020 study showing 94% of wrongful conviction cases involved actual perpetrators committing additional crimes while the innocent party was incarcerated.

Explained that youth lack the developmental capacity to handle police interrogations, with 90% waiving Miranda rights and confessing at three times the adult rate. The bill requires mandatory attorney consultation before interrogation, immediate parent notification with reasonable effort exceptions for safety, and automatic exclusion of statements obtained without counsel.

Sponsor argued that children lack cognitive capacity to understand Miranda rights and that parents cannot effectively waive rights due to financial concerns, lack of legal knowledge, and socialization to comply with authority. Cited national exoneration data showing 25 juveniles wrongfully convicted in New York since 1989, and a 2020 study showing 94% of wrongful conviction cases involved actual perpetrators who remained free to commit additional crimes.

Assemblymember Magnarelli explained the bill requires food retailers and third-party delivery platforms to clearly disclose whether online prices are higher or lower than in-store prices. Assemblywoman Walsh questioned the scope of implementation, asking whether item-by-item price comparisons would be required and what role the Department of State would play in regulation. Magnarelli clarified the bill requires disclosure of whether prices are generally higher or lower, with a link to the grocery store's website for consumers to verify, rather than mandating individual item comparisons. Walsh expressed concern about the burden on platforms given fluctuating prices but acknowledged the bill's consumer protection intent.

Voted affirmatively and thanked the sponsor, but corrected the record that homeless people are not more likely to have bed bugs, stating the reverse is true, and expressed concern about stigmatizing unhoused individuals.

Child care professionals are now educators with greater expertise; NYC's one-to-six ratio has proven safe with no incidents; bill provides financial relief to upstate providers while CSEA reports 70 percent of day care centers at max capacity; permanent policy, not temporary stopgap.

Sponsor argued the bill is cost-effective because preventing homelessness among foster youth is cheaper than emergency services, shelters, and hospital care. Explained that local Social Services districts can use existing mechanisms to provide services, and that Title IV-E and Chafee federal funds, plus state judiciary budget allocations, can cover legal representation costs.

Sponsor clarified the bill allows family court to enforce previously mandated services not provided to youth aging out of foster care, with costs covered by existing state (AFC) and federal (Chafee) funding, not new county money. Emphasized preventing youth from falling into homelessness.

Sponsor clarified the bill allows family court to enforce previously mandated services not provided to youth aging out at 21, rather than extending foster care. Stated there is no new cost to counties; attorney funding comes from state AFC funds and services can be funded through federal Chafee money available up to age 23.

Sponsor clarified the bill allows family court to enforce previously mandated services not provided by age 21, does not extend foster care to 22, and involves no new county costs. Funding comes from state AFC funds for attorneys and federal Chafee money for services.

Every child deserves full-time childcare regardless of parental work schedules; full-time care improves cognitive abilities, language skills, and social-emotional well-being, ultimately costing less as taxpayers. The State can absorb the cost given current child care budget allocations.

Argued every child deserves full-time childcare regardless of parental work schedules, citing proven benefits to cognitive abilities, language skills, and social-emotional well-being, and contending the state can easily absorb the cost from its substantial childcare budget.

Hevesi argued the bill addresses a critical gap: one-third of youth aging out of foster care become homeless. He noted these services are cheaper than adult shelter alternatives and prevent youth from entering adult shelters, making it both fiscally responsible and beneficial for vulnerable young people.

Sponsor explained the bill addresses two concerns: preventing subsidies to adoptive parents who fail to care for children ("broken adoptions") and ensuring subsidies follow children to appropriate care settings rather than continuing to non-performing parents. Noted 97-98% of subsidies go to parents adopting from foster care and cited 147 NYC cases where subsidized children are in foster care, homeless shelters, or on the street.

Assemblywoman Walsh explained her support for the bill, which allows child protective services case workers to fulfill training requirements virtually as long as they have a question-and-answer format with the instructor. Walsh noted that while in-person training is typically better, allowing virtual instruction options will help get people trained and ready to enter the field more efficiently. She emphasized that the bill gives counties the option rather than mandating virtual training.