Bill Text: NY S07663 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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

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Bill Title: Establishes a state SNAP minimum benefit program to provide a minimum amount of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits that is higher than the amount of federal SNAP benefits.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 18-2)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO SOCIAL SERVICES [S07663 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S07663-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          7663

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                   September 22, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  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  establishing  a
          state SNAP minimum benefit program

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

     1    Section 1. The social services law is amended by adding a new  section
     2  95-b to read as follows:
     3    §  95-b.  State  SNAP  minimum benefit program. 1. Notwithstanding any
     4  other provision of law to the contrary, there is  hereby  established  a
     5  state SNAP minimum benefit program. Under such program, the office shall
     6  distribute to each eligible household a monthly state SNAP benefit equal
     7  to  the  difference between the household's federal SNAP monthly benefit
     8  and ninety-five dollars, which amount may be increased by the office  as
     9  deemed  appropriate  and  subject  to available state appropriations. If
    10  federal funds become available for the purposes of this subdivision, the
    11  office shall utilize such federal funds as the primary source for  issu-
    12  ing the monthly state SNAP benefit before state funds, if necessary, are
    13  expended. The state SNAP benefit shall be provided to an eligible house-
    14  hold in addition to the federal SNAP benefit.
    15    2. The program shall be subject to the same state rules and procedures
    16  for  implementing  the  federal  SNAP  to  the greatest extent possible,
    17  including, but not limited to, distributing the state SNAP benefit using
    18  the program's electronic benefit  transfer  system  and  requiring  that
    19  benefits  be used solely for the purchase of food as defined in 7 U.S.C.
    20  s.2012.
    21    3. The office shall apply to the food and nutrition service within the
    22  federal department of agriculture for any necessary waivers or approvals
    23  to implement the provisions of this section.
    24    4. As used in this section:

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD10063-01-3
        S. 7663                             2

     1    (a) "Eligible household"  means  a  household  that  is  certified  to
     2  receive a federal SNAP benefit of at least one dollar per month but less
     3  than  ninety-five dollars per month, or a larger amount as deemed appro-
     4  priate by the office  pursuant  to  subdivision  one  of  this  section,
     5  subject to available state and federal funds.
     6    (b)  "SNAP" means the supplemental nutrition assistance program estab-
     7  lished pursuant to section ninety-five of this title.
     8    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.