Section 17-190a. Definitions.

For  the  purposes  of  this  section, the
  following terms shall be defined as follows:
    1. "Homeless person" means a person who at the time of death  did  not
  have  a known street address of a residence at which he or she was known
  or reasonably believed to have resided.
    2. "Homeless shelter resident" means a person who at the time of death
  lived  in  a  homeless  shelter  as  defined  in  paragraph  3  of  this
  subdivision.
    3.  "Homeless  shelter" means (i) a residence operated by or on behalf
  of the department of homeless  services;  (ii)  an  emergency  residence
  operated  by  or  on  behalf  of the department of social services/human
  resources administration  which  is  available  primarily  for  homeless
  persons  with HIV or AIDS related illness; or (iii) a residence operated
  by  or  on  behalf  of  the  department  of  housing  preservation   and
  development  to  the  extent  that  such residence houses clients of the
  department of homeless services; provided, however, that such term shall
  not include any residence  that  is  available  primarily  for  battered
  women.
    b.  Reports  regarding deaths of homeless persons and homeless shelter
  residents. 1. The department shall, on January first, April first,  July
  first  and  October  first of each year, beginning on January first, two
  thousand six, submit a report to the council indicating the incidence of
  deaths of homeless persons and homeless  shelter  residents  during  the
  quarter  year  which began on the first day of the sixth month preceding
  the month in which the report  is  required  to  be  filed.  Subject  to
  paragraph 3 of this subdivision, such quarterly report shall include, at
  a  minimum,  (i)  the  number  of  homeless  persons who died during the
  reporting quarter for whom there was an investigation by the  office  of
  the  chief  medical  examiner as required pursuant to section 557 of the
  charter, the number of homeless shelter residents who died  during  such
  quarter  and,  to  the extent such information is readily available, the
  number of other homeless persons who died during such quarter; (ii)  the
  community  board  district  where each such decedent died, disaggregated
  within each such district by whether the death occurred outdoors,  in  a
  hospital,  in  a  nursing  home  and/or  other  residential  health care
  facility, in a homeless shelter, or, to the extent such  information  is
  available,  in  another  facility,  residence or other type of location,
  provided, however,  that  the  location  of  decedents  who  died  in  a
  residence  operated  by  or  on  behalf  of  the  department  of  social
  services/human resources administration which is available primarily for
  homeless persons with HIV or AIDS related illness shall be  provided  by
  borough;  (iii) an indication as to whether the decedent was known to be
  living in a homeless shelter at the time  of  death  and  the  community
  board  district  in  which  such  homeless  shelter is located, provided
  however, that the location of the residence of  decedents  known  to  be
  living  in a homeless shelter operated by or on behalf of the department
  of social services/human resources  administration  which  is  available
  primarily for homeless persons with HIV or AIDS related illness shall be
  provided  by  borough; and (iv) the age or approximate age and gender of
  each such decedent; provided, however, that in cases where the  identity
  of  a  decedent  is unknown or in cases where it is unknown whether such
  decedent was a homeless person  or  a  homeless  shelter  resident,  the
  department  shall  provide  the  information  required by this paragraph
  during the quarter that such information becomes available, as  well  as
  the date or approximate date such death occurred.
    2.  In  addition  to  the  quarterly reports required pursuant to this
  subdivision, the department  shall,  subject  to  paragraph  3  of  this
  subdivision,  submit  an  annual  report to the council and the mayor by

  January fifteenth of each year, (i) summarizing and aggregating, as well
  as updating and amending if necessary, the information provided  in  the
  immediately  preceding  four  quarterly reports; and (ii) indicating the
  causes  of  death  for all deaths in such report disaggregated by cause,
  including, but not limited to, how many  such  deaths  were  related  to
  exposure to outdoor conditions.
    3.  The department may withhold information from a quarterly or annual
  report about an individual decedent otherwise required pursuant to  this
  subdivision  to  the  extent that such withholding is necessary to avoid
  disclosing the identity of such decedent, provided that  the  department
  shall  specify  when  such  information is withheld and shall report all
  other information about such decedent that will not reveal the  identity
  of such decedent.
    4.  In  each  quarterly  and  annual  report required pursuant to this
  subdivision, the department shall describe  the  methodologies  used  to
  identify  homeless persons and homeless shelter residents and provide an
  analysis of the reliability and validity of such methodologies.
    5.  The  quarterly  and  annual  reports  required  pursuant  to  this
  subdivision  shall  be  made  available to any member of the public upon
  request.
    c. Rules. By December fifteenth, 2005,  the  department  after  public
  hearings  shall  promulgate such rules as are necessary to implement the
  provisions of this section.
    * NB Repealed January 30, 2012