Bill Text: NY A08683 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Exempts certain income from temporary work related to improving participation in the decennial census in the calculation of household benefits under public assistance programs.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - referred to social services [A08683 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A08683-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8683

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    October 23, 2019
                                       ___________

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

        AN ACT to amend the  social  services  law,  in  relation  to  exempting
          certain  income from temporary work related to improving participation
          in the decennial census in the calculation of household benefits under
          public assistance programs

          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-n of the social services law,
     2  as separately amended by chapters 323 and 329 of the laws  of  2019,  is
     3  amended to read as follows:
     4    1.  The  following resources shall be exempt and disregarded in calcu-
     5  lating the amount of benefits of any household under any public  assist-
     6  ance program: (a) cash and liquid or nonliquid resources up to two thou-
     7  sand  dollars,  or  three  thousand dollars in the case of households in
     8  which any member is sixty years of age or older, (b)  an  amount  up  to
     9  four  thousand  six  hundred  fifty  dollars  in a separate bank account
    10  established by an individual while currently in  receipt  of  assistance
    11  for  the  sole purpose of enabling the individual to purchase a first or
    12  replacement vehicle for  the  recipient  to  seek,  obtain  or  maintain
    13  employment, so long as the funds are not used for any other purpose, (c)
    14  an  amount  up  to  one thousand four hundred dollars in a separate bank
    15  account established by an  individual  while  currently  in  receipt  of
    16  assistance  for the purpose of paying tuition at a two-year or four-year
    17  accredited post-secondary educational institution, so long as the  funds
    18  are  not  used  for  any  other purpose, (d) the home which is the usual
    19  residence of the household, (e)  one  automobile,  up  to  ten  thousand
    20  dollars  fair  market  value,  through  March thirty-first, two thousand
    21  seventeen; one automobile, up to eleven  thousand  dollars  fair  market
    22  value,  from  April  first, two thousand seventeen through March thirty-
    23  first, two thousand eighteen; and one automobile, up to twelve  thousand

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD13962-01-9
        A. 8683                             2

     1  dollars  fair market value, beginning April first, two thousand eighteen
     2  and thereafter, or such other higher dollar value as  the  local  social
     3  services  district may elect to adopt, (f) one burial plot per household
     4  member  as  defined  in  department  regulations,  (g) bona fide funeral
     5  agreements up to a total of one thousand five hundred dollars in  equity
     6  value  per  household  member,  (h)  funds  in an individual development
     7  account established in accordance with subdivision five of section three
     8  hundred fifty-eight of this chapter and section four  hundred  three  of
     9  the  social  security act, (i) for a period of six months, real property
    10  which the household is making a good faith effort to sell, in accordance
    11  with department regulations and tangible personal property necessary for
    12  business or for employment purposes in accordance with department  regu-
    13  lations,  [and]  (j) funds in a qualified tuition program that satisfies
    14  the requirement of section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,  as
    15  amended, [and (j)] (k) funds in a New York achieving a better life expe-
    16  rience  savings  account  established in accordance with article eighty-
    17  four of the mental hygiene law, and (l) any income or  stipend  paid  by
    18  the  United  States census bureau, a governmental entity, or a nonprofit
    19  organization for temporary work related to  improving  participation  in
    20  the decennial census that is earned during the year preceding a decenni-
    21  al  census  and during the year of the decennial census.  If federal law
    22  or regulations require the exemption or disregard of  additional  income
    23  and  resources  in  determining  need  for family assistance, or medical
    24  assistance not exempted or disregarded pursuant to any  other  provision
    25  of  this  chapter,  the  department  may,  by regulations subject to the
    26  approval of the director of the budget, require  social  services  offi-
    27  cials  to exempt or disregard such income and resources. Refunds result-
    28  ing from earned income  tax  credits  shall  be  disregarded  in  public
    29  assistance programs.
    30    §  2.  This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
    31  the amendments to section 131-n of  the  social  services  law  made  by
    32  section  one of this act shall not affect the expiration of such section
    33  and shall be deemed to expire therewith.