Bill Text: NY S01170 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: Authorizes social services districts to offer participants in public assistance employment programs an option to complete a course of instruction in financial literacy and personal finance; authorizes local social services districts to cooperate with the department of labor in providing workforce guidance and information.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-06-19 - SUBSTITUTED BY A474A [S01170 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-S01170-Introduced.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          1170
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                     January 6, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sens.  CARLUCCI,  AVELLA, KLEIN, SAVINO, VALESKY -- read
          twice and ordered printed, and when printed to  be  committed  to  the
          Committee on Social Services
        AN  ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to allowing social
          services districts to offer participants in public assistance  employ-
          ment programs an option to complete a course in financial literacy and
          personal finance
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Paragraph (f) of subdivision 1 of section 336 of the social
     2  services law, as amended by section 148 of part B of chapter 436 of  the
     3  laws  of  1997, is amended and a new paragraph (j-l) is added to read as
     4  follows:
     5    (f) job search and job readiness assistance, provided that job  search
     6  is  an  active  and continuing effort to secure employment configured by
     7  the local social services official; and such  social  services  district
     8  may  work  in  cooperation with the department of labor to provide work-
     9  force guidance and information in accordance with section ten-c  of  the
    10  labor law;
    11    (j-l)  education  or a course of instruction in financial literacy and
    12  personal finance that includes instruction on household cash  management
    13  techniques,  career advice to obtain a well paying and secure job, using
    14  checking and savings accounts, obtaining and utilizing  short  and  long
    15  term  credit,  securing  a loan or other long term financing arrangement
    16  for high cost items such as a motor vehicle, home or participation in  a
    17  higher  education  course  of instruction or trade school, obtaining and
    18  using credit and debit cards, investing and saving money,  and  planning
    19  for retirement;
    20    §  2.  Subdivision  1  of section 336-a of the social services law, as
    21  amended by section 4 of part J of chapter 58 of the  laws  of  2014,  is
    22  amended to read as follows:
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01848-01-7
        S. 1170                             2
     1    1.  Social  services  districts shall make available vocational educa-
     2  tional training and educational activities.  Such activities may include
     3  but need not be limited to, high school education or education  designed
     4  to  prepare  a  participant  for  a high school equivalency certificate,
     5  basic  and  remedial education, education in English proficiency, educa-
     6  tion in financial literacy and personal finance  pursuant  to  paragraph
     7  (j-1)  of  subdivision  one  of section three hundred thirty-six of this
     8  title, and no more than a total of four years of  post-secondary  educa-
     9  tion  (or  the part-time equivalent). Educational activities pursuant to
    10  this section may be offered with any of the  following  providers  which
    11  meet  the performance or assessment standards established in regulations
    12  by the commissioner for such providers: a  community  college,  licensed
    13  trade  school,  registered  business  school, or a two-year or four-year
    14  college; provided, however, that such post-secondary education  must  be
    15  necessary  to  the attainment of the participant's individual employment
    16  goal as set forth in the employability plan and such  goal  must  relate
    17  directly to obtaining useful employment in a recognized occupation. When
    18  making  any  assignment  to  any  educational  activity pursuant to this
    19  subdivision, such assignment shall be permitted only to the extent  that
    20  such  assignment  is  consistent  with  the  individual's assessment and
    21  employment plan goals in accordance with sections three hundred  thirty-
    22  five  and  three  hundred  thirty-five-a of this title and shall require
    23  that the individual maintains satisfactory academic progress and  hourly
    24  participation  is  documented consistent with federal and state require-
    25  ments. For purposes of this provision "satisfactory  academic  progress"
    26  shall  mean  having a cumulative C average, or its equivalent, as deter-
    27  mined by the academic institution. The requirement to maintain satisfac-
    28  tory academic progress may be waived if done so by the academic institu-
    29  tion and the social services district based on undue hardship caused  by
    30  an  event such as a personal injury or illness of the student, the death
    31  of a relative of the student or  other  extenuating  circumstances.  Any
    32  enrollment in post-secondary education beyond a twelve month period must
    33  be  combined  with  no  less than twenty hours of participation averaged
    34  weekly in paid employment or work activities or community  service  when
    35  paid employment is not available.
    36    § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    37  it  shall have become a law; provided, however, that the commissioner of
    38  temporary  and  disability  assistance  is  immediately  authorized  and
    39  directed  to  promulgate,  amend and/or repeal any rules and regulations
    40  that may be necessary to implement the provisions of  this  act  on  its
    41  effective date.