Bill Text: NY A09123 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Authorizes county offices for the aging to accept and process supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) and low-income home energy assistance program applications.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-05-23 - print number 9123a [A09123 Detail]
Download: New_York-2015-A09123-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 9123--A IN ASSEMBLY January 28, 2016 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. CRESPO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Aging -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the elder law and the social services law, in relation to authorizing county offices for the aging to accept and process supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) and low-income home energy assistance program applications The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The elder law is amended by adding a new section 224 to 2 read as follows: 3 § 224. Supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) and low-income 4 home energy assistance program applications for the elderly. 1.(a) In 5 consultation with the commissioner of temporary and disability assist- 6 ance, the office shall establish, for use by county offices for the 7 aging, a best practice model for such county offices to accept and proc- 8 ess applications for the supplemental nutrition assistance program 9 (SNAP) pursuant to section ninety-five of the social services law and 10 the low-income home energy assistance program pursuant to section nine- 11 ty-seven of the social services law from elderly individuals seeking 12 services from such county offices. Such best practices model shall be 13 developed and established by the office after a review of all county 14 offices for the aging programs offering similar services to elderly 15 individuals at the effective date of this section. 16 (b) Within three years of the establishment of the best practice model 17 pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subdivision, all county offices for 18 the aging shall adopt such best practice model and begin accepting and 19 processing applications from elderly individuals for the supplemental 20 nutrition assistance program (SNAP) pursuant to section ninety-five of 21 the social services law and the low-income home energy assistance 22 program pursuant to section ninety-seven of the social services law. A 23 county office for the aging may request an extension to adopt such best 24 practice model by making a written request to the director. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD13652-04-6A. 9123--A 2 1 (c) County offices for the aging and local social services districts 2 shall have the ability to disclose and share information with respect to 3 such applications and the supplemental nutrition assistance program 4 (SNAP) and the low-income home energy assistance program. For purposes 5 of this section, "elderly individual" shall mean a person sixty years of 6 age or older. 7 2. The director shall promulgate any rules and regulations necessary 8 to carry out the provisions of this section. 9 § 2. Section 95 of the social services law is amended by adding a new 10 subdivision 11 to read as follows: 11 11. The office for the aging is authorized and required, subject to 12 state and federal laws and regulations and in consultation with the 13 office, to act on behalf of the office and accept and process applica- 14 tions for the supplemental nutrition assistance program from elderly 15 individuals pursuant to section two hundred twenty-four of the elder 16 law. 17 § 3. Section 97 of the social services law is amended by adding a new 18 subdivision 6 to read as follows: 19 6. The office for the aging is authorized and required, subject to 20 state and federal laws and regulations and in consultation with the 21 department, to act on behalf of the department and accept and process 22 applications for the low-income home energy assistance program from 23 elderly individuals pursuant to section two hundred twenty-four of the 24 elder law. 25 § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 26 it shall have become a law; provided, however, effective immediately, 27 the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces- 28 sary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are 29 authorized to be made on or before such date.