N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 9 § 5.55

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 25, June 18, 2024

Section 5.55 - Executive order no. 55: establishing a task force on out-of-wedlock pregnancies and poverty

WHEREAS, this State and the United States Congress have recognized that out-of-wedlock pregnancies contribute to the cycle of poverty and increase the dependence of needy families on government;

WHEREAS, out-of-wedlock births account for approximately one-third of all births in New York State;

WHEREAS, it has been well documented that unintended pregnancy is linked to increased maternal mortality and increased risk of infant morbidity, mortality, low birth weight, poor educational outcomes and other impairments, and, 80 percent of all teen births nationally are unintended, and, in New York, an average of one out of every 10 adolescent females becomes pregnant;

WHEREAS, three-quarters of all adolescent births in New York are paid for by Medicaid, and approximately one-half of the funds paid under welfare programs go to families that began as the result of an adolescent pregnancy;

WHEREAS, adolescent mothers are less likely than older mothers to have completed high school, have a full-time job, and be able to earn enough to support a family;

WHEREAS, Congress enacted the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, which requires that each state, as a condition for receiving Federal funds, establish goals and take action to prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies, with special emphasis on teenage pregnancies;

WHEREAS, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act contains a provision to award a bonus grant for Federal fiscal years 1999-2002 to no more than five states which demonstrate the highest net decrease in out-of-wedlock births without increasing the state's rate of induced pregnancy terminations; and

WHEREAS, it is crucial to develop and promote pregnancy prevention programs, with a special emphasis on teenage pregnancy prevention;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE E. PATAKI, Governor of the State of New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Laws of the State of New York, do hereby order as follows:

I. TASK FORCE ON OUT-OF-WEDLOCK PREGNANCIES AND POVERTY

There is hereby established the Task Force on Out-of-Wedlock Pregnancies and Poverty for the purpose of studying the problem of out-of-wedlock pregnancies, with special emphasis on teenage pregnancies, and developing a 10-year plan and goals regarding the reduction of such pregnancies in New York State. The task force shall be chaired by the Executive Director of the Council on Children and Families, and shall consist of the Commissioner of the Department of Health, the Deputy Commissioner for Temporary Assistance of the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance; the Commissioner of the Office of Children and Family Services; and the Assistant Counsel to the Governor responsible for social welfare and child welfare. The task force shall be made up of no more than nine additional members appointed by the Governor, and shall include representatives from the private and not-for-profit sectors who have expertise in programs preventing out-of-wedlock pregnancy, particularly among adolescents. Members of the task force shall receive no compensation but shall be entitled to reimbursement for any necessary expenses incurred in connection with the performance of their duties.

II. POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF TASK FORCE

The Task Force on Out-of-Wedlock Pregnancies and Poverty shall be responsible for developing recommendations regarding goals and strategies for the reduction of out-of-wedlock pregnancies, with special emphasis on teenage pregnancies, and for developing the State's plan for achieving these goals for calendar years 1997-2007.

As part of its mission, the Task Force shall:

1. develop and promote pregnancy prevention strategies designed to prevent out-of-wedlock pregnancy, and to identify those communities where such programs are most needed;

2. identify and assess the effectiveness of existing programs, including those in other states;

3. establish common performance measures, including measures of cost-effectiveness, to enable better program assessment and more efficient and effective coordination of programs and resources among State and local agencies;

4. promote the replication of successful strategies in underserved and high-need communities by, among other things, providing technical assistance to localities in the creation of effective programs;

5. explore ways to foster male responsibility and hold fathers more accountable for the financial, social and emotional support of their children born out-of-wedlock;

6. encourage local school districts and communities to establish programs designed to help adolescents understand the responsibilities of parenthood, to retain in school those adolescents who become parents, and to enhance their skills as parents;

7. promote, through involvement of business and communities, daycare, training and employment programs and opportunities that better prepare and enable young parents to support their children; and

8. urge enforcement of the sexual offense provisions of the penal laws which hold an adult male criminally responsible for having sexual relations with an adolescent female.

The task force shall submit an interim report to the Governor by January l, 1998, which documents the activities underway and to be undertaken by the member agencies individually and jointly to prevent out-of-wedlock pregnancy. The task force shall submit a final report to the Governor by June 1, 1998.

III. STAFF SUPPORT AND COOPERATION OF STATE AGENCIES

The departments represented on this task force and any other State agencies, divisions, offices or departments shall cooperate fully with the task force and its mission. Such assistance may include, but shall not be limited to, the use of agency staff and other administrative and technical resources necessary for the task force to fulfill its mission, including the provision of statistical and policy data in such form as is requested by the task force.

IV. SUBCOMMITTEES

No less than eight subcommittees shall be formed, including: the Women and Teen Advisory Subcommittee, the Prevention Subcommittee, the State and Local Partnerships Subcommittee, the Education Subcommittee, the Employment and Child Care Subcommittee, the Evaluation Subcommittee, the Legal Implications Subcommittee, and the Fiscal Implications Subcommittee, which shall be chaired respectively by the Director of the Division for Women, the Commissioner of the Department of Health, the Commissioner of the Office of Children and Family Services, the Commissioner of the State Education Department, the Commissioner of the Department of Labor, the Commissioner of the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, the Assistant Counsel to the Governor responsible for social welfare and child welfare, and the Director of the Division of the Budget.

The chairperson of each subcommittee, in consultation with the chairperson of the task force, shall appoint subcommittee members with expertise in the subcommittee's specific area. Each subcommittee chairperson shall be responsible for ensuring that the work of the subcommittee is coordinated and shared with the task force.

V. DISSOLUTION

The task force shall be dissolved 90 days after completion its final report.

Signed: George E. PatakiDated: September 23, 1997

[FN*] [Revoked by Executive Order No. 5 (Eliot Spitzer), infra.]

[Revoked by Executive Order No. 9 (David A. Paterson), infra.]

[Revoked by Executive Order No. 2 (Andrew M. Cuomo), infra.]

N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. Tit. 9 § 5.55