Bill Text: NY S07007 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Allows persons applying for or receiving public assistance to be interviewed by phone or other digital means at the request of the applicant or recipient.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2021-06-11 - SIGNED CHAP.144 [S07007 Detail]
Download: New_York-2021-S07007-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7007 2021-2022 Regular Sessions IN SENATE May 22, 2021 ___________ Introduced by Sens. PERSAUD, KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to allowing persons applying for or receiving public assistance to be interviewed by phone or other digital means; and to amend a chapter of the laws of 2021 amending the social services law relating to allowing persons applying for or receiving public assistance to be interviewed by phone, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.3223-A and A.5414, in relation to the effectiveness thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subdivision 4 of section 132 of 2 the social services law, as amended by a chapter of the laws of 2021 3 amending the social services law relating to allowing persons applying 4 for or receiving public assistance to be interviewed by phone, as 5 proposed in legislative bills numbers S.3223-A and A.5414, are amended 6 to read as follows: 7 (a) Investigation into the cause of the condition of a head of house- 8 hold or of any adult applicant or recipient and the treatment which will 9 be helpful to such person shall include a screening for alcohol and/or 10 substance abuse using a standardized screening instrument to be devel- 11 oped by the office of addiction services and supports in consultation 12 with the department. Such screening shall be performed by a social 13 services district at the time of application and periodically thereafter 14 but not more frequently than every six months, unless the district has 15 reason to believe that an applicant or recipient is abusing or dependent 16 on alcohol or drugs, in accordance with regulations promulgated by the 17 department. Such screening may be conducted by telephone or other 18 digital means at the [social services district's option] request of the 19 applicant or recipient. 20 (b) When the screening process indicates that there is reason to 21 believe that an applicant or recipient is abusing or dependent on alco- 22 hol or drugs, the social services district shall require a formal alco- 23 hol or substance abuse assessment, which may include drug testing, to be EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD06833-05-1S. 7007 2 1 performed by an alcohol and/or substance abuse professional credentialed 2 by the office of addiction services and supports. The assessment may be 3 performed directly by the district or pursuant to contract with the 4 district. Such assessment may be conducted by telephone or other digital 5 means at the [social services district's option] request of the appli- 6 cant or recipient. 7 § 2. Subdivision 3 of section 134-a of the social services law, as 8 amended by a chapter of the laws of 2021 amending the social services 9 law relating to allowing persons applying for or receiving public 10 assistance to be interviewed by phone, as proposed in legislative bills 11 numbers S.3223-A and A.5414, is amended to read as follows: 12 3. The social services official shall require that persons applying 13 for or receiving public assistance and care be interviewed personally at 14 a time and in a manner provided by the regulations of the department, 15 and the social services official may provide the option of a phone 16 interview or other digital means for such interview [may be a phone17interview] at the [social services official's option. Applicants or18recipients shall be excused from such requirements to avoid hardship, as19defined by regulations of the department. Hardship shall include but not20be limited to circumstances including infirmity, serious illness or21physical disability] request of the applicant or recipient. 22 § 3. Subdivision 2 of section 349-a of the social services law, as 23 amended by a chapter of the laws of 2021 amending the social services 24 law relating to allowing persons applying for or receiving public 25 assistance to be interviewed by phone, as proposed in legislative bills 26 numbers S.3223-A and A.5414, is amended to read as follows: 27 2. Such inquiry shall be performed utilizing a universal screening 28 form to be developed by the department after consultation with the 29 office for the prevention of domestic violence and statewide domestic 30 violence advocacy groups. Such screening may be conducted by telephone 31 or other digital means at the [social services district's option] 32 request of the applicant or recipient. An individual may request such 33 screening at any time, and any individual who at any time self identi- 34 fies as a victim of domestic violence shall be afforded the opportunity 35 for such screening. 36 § 4. Section 4 of a chapter of the laws of 2021 amending the social 37 services law relating to allowing persons applying for or receiving 38 public assistance to be interviewed by phone, as proposed in legislative 39 bills numbers S.3223-A and A.5414, is amended to read as follows: 40 § 4. This act shall take effect [immediately] on the one hundred twen- 41 tieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately the 42 office of temporary and disability assistance, in consultation with the 43 office for the prevention of domestic violence as well as any other 44 public or private agency, shall undertake and complete on or before such 45 effective date such measures as may be necessary and appropriate to 46 develop the necessary protocols with respect to telephonic screenings, 47 assessments and applications for public assistance. 48 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately; provided however, that 49 sections one, two and three of this act shall take effect on the same 50 date and in the same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2021 amending 51 the social services law relating to allowing persons applying for or 52 receiving public assistance to be interviewed by phone, as proposed in 53 legislative bills numbers S.3223-A and A.5414, takes effect.