Bill Text: NY A00678 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to state assistance for food and vet expenses for guide dogs, hearing dogs and service dogs of individuals qualifying for social services; requires regulations set an amount of no less than $50 a month; clarifies that service dogs do not have to be certified to qualify for such benefits.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - referred to social services [A00678 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A00678-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                           678
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                       (Prefiled)
                                     January 9, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A. L. ROSENTHAL, D'URSO, BARRON -- read once and
          referred to the Committee on Social Services
        AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to  assistance  for
          guide  dogs, hearing dogs and service dogs and to repeal section 303-a
          of such law relating thereto
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1. Section 303-a of the social services law is REPEALED and a
     2  new section 131-y is added to read as follows:
     3    § 131-y. Assistance for guide dogs, hearing dogs and service dogs.  1.
     4  It  shall be the duty of the social services official to provide assist-
     5  ance, in accordance with regulations of the department, to a person with
     6  a disability using a guide dog, hearing dog or service dog who has  been
     7  determined to be eligible for or is receiving, including but not limited
     8  to,  federal  supplemental security income benefits, supplemental nutri-
     9  tion assistance program benefits, medical assistance for  needy  persons
    10  and/or additional state payments under this chapter, for the purchase of
    11  food and the cost of veterinarian expenses for such dog.
    12    2.  Such regulations of the department shall fix an amount of not less
    13  than fifty dollars a month, and the method and frequency of distribution
    14  and procedures for the determination and periodical  redetermination  of
    15  eligibility for such assistance.
    16    3.  Such assistance shall not be granted to any person for whom earned
    17  income has been exempted for such purpose pursuant  to  federal  law  or
    18  regulation.
    19    4.  The  full  amount  properly  expended by social services districts
    20  under this section, including costs of administration,  shall  be  reim-
    21  bursed by the state.
    22    5.  For  purposes  of  this section, "service dog" shall mean any dog,
    23  regardless of certification, under the control of the  person  using  or
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03601-01-9
        A. 678                              2
     1  training  it  and  that  has been or is being individually trained to do
     2  work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability.
     3    § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
     4  it shall have become a law.