NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8610
SPONSOR: Solages TITLE OF BILL:
An act to establish a task force to identify evidence-based and evidence
informed solutions to reduce children's exposure to adverse childhood
experience
PURPOSE:
To create a task force to identify evidence-based and evidence informed
solutions to reduce children's exposure to adverse childhood experience.
SUMMARY:
Section 1. Establishes the purpose of the ACEs task force. Section 2.
Establishes member appointments.
Section 3. Declares areas of experience for members of the ACEs task
force and appointment of the task force chair.
Section 4. The members of the task force shall receive no compensation.
Section 5. Establishes task force duties.
Section 6. Empowers the task force to request for facilities, resources,
and state data.
Section 7. Establishes a timeline for the report.
Section 8. Sets the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are stressful or traumatic
experiences that include physical and sexual abuse, neglect, domestic
violence, poverty, parental substance abuse, mental illness, parental
discord,divorce or crime within the home. When a child endures stressful
or traumatic experiences, their neurodevelopment can be disrupted,
potentially impeding their ability to cope with negative or disruptive
emotions and contributing to emotional and cognitive impairment. As a
result of enduring adverse experiences, a child is more likely to adopt
unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as substance abuse, and is more at
risk for disease, disability, and social problems later in life. In
addition, children who experience ACEs are more likely to perform poorly
in school and have lower literacy levels.
According to studies conducted by the Center for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and health maintenance organization Kaiser Permanente,
more than 17,000 Kaiser patients completed a survey regarding their
health status and behaviors. The study showed that ACEs are common 28
percent of the sample reported physical abuse and 21 percent reported
sexual abuse, with substance abuse, mental illness of a parent, and
divorce as common traumatic events. Almost 40 percent of respondents
reported experiencing two or more ACEs, and 12.5 percent experienced
four or more
1. Additionally, the study correlates ACEs with higher
instances of health, social and behavioral problems throughout a
person's lifetime.
RACIAL JUSTICE IMPACT:
Children of all races and ethnicities encounter childhood adverse expe-
riences (ACEs). However, children of color are more likely to experience
ACEs, 61% of Black non-Hispanic children and 51% of Hispanic children
have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience. This is
compared to 40% of White non-Hispanic children and 23% of Asian non-His-
panic children nationally. The most commonly reported adverse childhood
experiences across all races and ethnicities are economic hardship and
divorce/separation (2). The ACE Task Force will help combat the
disproportionate ACEs experienced by children and communities of color
by identifying evidence-based solutions that intend to limit and miti-
gate ACEs and the subsequent consequences on the physical, emotional,
and well-being of children of color.
GENDER JUSTICE IMPACT:
Exposure to emotional, physical, or sexual abuse are common adverse
childhood experiences, which are known to disproportionately affect
female and gender nonconforming children. These children are at greater
risk of experiencing 4 or more ACEs within their childhood (3). The ACEs
task force will help to combat the disproportionate experiences of
female and gender nonconforming children, and limit ACE exposure through
evidential reporting and evidence-based solutions.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023: A5960; vetoed.
2021-22: A4908; vetoed.
2019-2020: A2451; referred to children & families.
2017-2018: A3981; referred to children & families.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
(1) CDC-Kaiser ACE Study
HTTPS://WWW.CDC.GOV/YIOLENCEPREVENTION/ACES/
ABOUT.HTML.ct.
(2) Child Trends Organization
HTTPS://WWW.CHILDTRENDS.ORG/PUBLICATIONS/
PREYALENCE-ADYERSE-CHILDHOOD-EXP ERIENCES-NATIONALLY-S TATE-RACE-ETHNIC-
ITY.ct.
(3) CDC
HTTPS://WWW.CDC.GOY/YITALSIG,NS/ACES/INDEX.HTML :-:
TEXT=ACESCA20ARE%20COR NMON%20AND%20T
HE,EXPERIENCING%204%20OR%2ORNORE%20ACES.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8610
IN ASSEMBLY
January 12, 2024
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES, CHANDLER-WATERMAN, DARLING, SIMON --
read once and referred to the Committee on Children and Families
AN ACT to establish a task force to identify evidence-based and evidence
informed solutions to reduce children's exposure to adverse childhood
experience
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. A task force on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is
2 hereby established to examine, evaluate, accept public comment and make
3 recommendations concerning the impact of ACEs and preventive and trau-
4 ma-informed policy and practices.
5 § 2. The task force shall consist of 10 members to be appointed as
6 follows:
7 a. One member appointed by the department of health;
8 b. One member appointed by the office of children and family services;
9 c. One member appointed by the state education department;
10 d. One member appointed by the department of criminal justice
11 services;
12 e. One member appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
13 f. One member appointed by the speaker of the assembly; and
14 g. Four members appointed by the governor.
15 § 3. The members of the task force shall each have experience in or
16 represent the following areas: juvenile justice, social services, public
17 health, childhood development, minority and ethnic groups, education
18 prekindergarten through grade 12. The governor shall designate the chair
19 of the task force which shall be filled in the manner provided for
20 original appointments.
21 § 4. The members of the task force shall receive no compensation for
22 their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
23 incurred in the performance of their duties pursuant to this act.
24 § 5. The task force shall perform the following duties:
25 (1) Engage social services, office of children and family services,
26 education, health, and criminal justice systems in creation of trauma-
27 informed policy and practices in each of these systems to prevent
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07702-01-3
A. 8610 2
1 adverse childhood experiences from occurring and support the health and
2 well-being of all families.
3 (2) Identify social determinants of health and well-being and recom-
4 mend solutions to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in the state
5 in relation to the occurrence of ACEs.
6 § 6. To the maximum extent feasible, the task force shall be entitled
7 to request and receive, and shall utilize and be provided with such
8 facilities, resources and data of any department, division, board,
9 bureau, commission, district or agency of the state or any political
10 subdivision thereof as it may reasonably request to properly carry out
11 its powers and duties pursuant to this act.
12 § 7. The task force shall submit, within 2 years of the effective date
13 of this act, a report of its findings, conclusions and recommendations
14 to the governor, temporary president of the senate, speaker of the
15 assembly, minority leader of the senate, minority leader of the assem-
16 bly, chair of senate education committee, chair of assembly education
17 committee, chair of senate health committee, chair of assembly health
18 committee, chair of senate social services committee, chair of assembly
19 social services committee, chair of senate children and families commit-
20 tee and chair of assembly children and families committee.
21 § 8. This act shall take effect immediately.
