Bill Text: NY A08103 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Provides public assistance for home internet service payments.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-05 - referred to social services [A08103 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-A08103-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8103

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                      June 11, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of  A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the
          Committee on Social Services

        AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to providing public
          assistance for home internet service

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1. Subdivision 1 of section 131-a of the social services law,
     2  as amended by section 12 of part B of chapter 436 of the laws  of  1997,
     3  is amended to read as follows:
     4    1.  Any  inconsistent  provision of this chapter or other law notwith-
     5  standing, social  services  officials  shall,  in  accordance  with  the
     6  provisions  of  this  section and regulations of the department, provide
     7  public assistance to needy persons who constitute or are  members  of  a
     8  family  household,  who are determined to be eligible in accordance with
     9  standards of need  established  in  subdivision  two  of  this  section.
    10  Provision  for  such  persons, for all items of need, less any available
    11  income or resources which are not required to be  disregarded  by  other
    12  provisions  of  this  chapter,  shall  be  made  in accordance with this
    13  section. Such provision shall be made in monthly or semi-monthly  allow-
    14  ances and grants within the limits of the schedules included in subdivi-
    15  sion  three of this section except for additional amounts which shall be
    16  included therein for shelter, fuel for heating, home  internet  service,
    17  additional  cost of meals for persons who are unable to prepare meals at
    18  home and for other items for which specific provision is otherwise  made
    19  in article five of this chapter. As used in this section the term "shel-
    20  ter" may include a grant not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars
    21  toward  the  purchase of an interest in a cooperative. A social services
    22  official shall require assignment of recipient's equity in such  cooper-
    23  ative  housing in accordance with the rules of the board and regulations
    24  of the department.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11010-01-1
        A. 8103                             2

     1    § 2. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 2 of section  131-a  of  the  social
     2  services  law,  as amended by chapter 87 of the laws of 1993, is amended
     3  to read as follows:
     4    (b)  In  addition  to  the  above,  the standard of need shall include
     5  amounts for shelter and  fuel  for  heating,  amounts  for  home  energy
     6  payments  (including  amounts  for  supplemental  home  energy  grants),
     7  amounts for home internet service payments, amounts for additional  cost
     8  of meals for persons who are unable to prepare meals at home and amounts
     9  for other items when required by individual case circumstances for which
    10  specific  provision  is  otherwise made in article five of this chapter.
    11  For purposes of determining the amount to be included in the standard of
    12  need for shelter and fuel  for  heating,  to  the  extent  that  federal
    13  reimbursement  is  available  therefor,  social services officials shall
    14  include in the household any child who has entered foster care  pursuant
    15  to  section three hundred eighty-four-a of this chapter who was eligible
    16  for and in receipt of assistance and care as a member of  the  household
    17  in  and  for the month of entry into foster care and for whom the family
    18  service plan, as defined in section four hundred nine-e of this chapter,
    19  includes a goal of discharge to a member of the household.
    20    § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
    21  have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
    22  repeal  of  any  rule  or regulation necessary for the implementation of
    23  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made  and  completed
    24  on or before such effective date.