§ 532-a. Definitions. For the purposes of this article the term:

1. "Runaway youth" shall mean a person under the age of eighteen years who is absent from his or her legal residence without the consent of his or her parent, legal guardian or custodian.

2. "Homeless youth" shall mean:

(a) a person under the age of eighteen who is in need of services and is without a place of shelter where supervision and care are available; or

(b) a person who is under the age of twenty-one but is at least age eighteen and who is in need of services and is without a place of shelter.

(c) Provided however, when a municipality's approved comprehensive plan authorizes that services pursuant to this article be provided to "homeless young adults" as such term is defined in this section, then for purposes related to the provisions of that municipality's approved comprehensive plan that include "homeless young adults", the term "homeless youth" as used in this article shall be deemed to include "homeless young adults".

3. "Youth in need of crisis intervention or respite services" shall mean a person under the age of eighteen years who is a potential respondent under article seven of the family court act, who, with the consent of his or her parent or other person legally responsible for the youth, is determined by the local juvenile probation department or social services official to be in need of crisis intervention or respite services.

4. "Runaway and homeless youth crisis services program" shall mean:

(a) any non-residential program approved by the office of children and family services, after submission by the municipality as part of its comprehensive plan, that provides services to runaway youth and homeless youth in accordance with the regulations of the office of children and family services; or

(b) any residential program which is operated by an authorized agency as defined in subdivision ten of § 371 of the social services law, and certified by the office of children and family services to provide short-term residential services to runaway youth and homeless youth in accordance with the applicable regulations of the office of temporary and disability assistance and the office of children and family services.

(c) Runaway and homeless youth crisis services programs may also provide non-residential crisis intervention and, if certified, residential respite services to youth in need of crisis intervention or respite services, as such term is defined in this section. Residential respite services in a certified runaway and homeless youth crisis services program may be provided to such youth for no more than twenty-one days, in accordance with the regulations of the office of children and family services and section seven hundred thirty-five of the family court act.

5. "Runaway and homeless youth service coordinator" shall mean any person so designated by a municipality whose duties shall include but not be limited to answering inquiries at any time concerning transportation, shelter and other services available to a runaway or homeless youth or a youth in need of crisis intervention or respite services.

6. "Transitional independent living support program" shall mean:

(a) any non-residential program approved by the office of children and family services, after submission by the municipality as part of its comprehensive plan, that provides supportive services to enable homeless youth to progress from crisis care and transitional care to independent living, in accordance with the applicable regulations of the office of children and family services; or

(b) any residential program established and operated to provide supportive services, in accordance with the regulations of the office of children and family services, to enable homeless youth to progress from crisis care and transitional care to independent living.

(c) A transitional independent living support program may also provide services to youth in need of crisis intervention or respite services. Notwithstanding the time limitation in paragraph (i) of subdivision (d) of section seven hundred thirty-five of the family court act, residential respite services may be provided in a transitional independent living support program for a period of more than twenty-one days.

7. "Safe house" shall mean a residential program for sexually exploited children as defined in subdivision one of § 447-a of the social services law. An approved runaway program may operate a short-term safe house, as defined in subdivision two of § 447-a of the social services law, for sexually exploited children. A transitional independent living support program may operate a long-term safe house for sexually exploited children.

8. "Municipality" shall mean a county, or a city having a population of one million or more.

9. "Homeless young adult" shall mean a person who is age twenty-four or younger but is at least age twenty-one and who is in need of services and is without a place of shelter.