Bill Text: NY S09065 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires notice to unemployment applicants of the supplemental nutrition assistance program and special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children; requires the department of health to create an outreach program for WIC.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-05-06 - REFERRED TO LABOR [S09065 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-S09065-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          9065

                    IN SENATE

                                       May 6, 2022
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  CLEARE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Labor

        AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to providing notice to  unem-
          ployment  applicants  of the supplemental nutrition assistance program
          and special supplemental nutrition  program  for  women,  infants  and
          children; and to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring
          an outreach program for WIC

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

     1    Section 1. Section 540 of the labor law, as amended by chapter 251  of
     2  the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
     3    §  540.  Information about [food stamp] supplemental nutrition assist-
     4  ance and special supplemental nutrition, utility, and rental  and  mort-
     5  gage  assistance  programs.  The commissioner shall establish procedures
     6  whereby each person who files a claim for unemployment insurance  pursu-
     7  ant  to  section  five hundred ninety-six of this article, shall receive
     8  information about the [food  stamp]  supplemental  nutrition  assistance
     9  program  provided  by  the office of temporary and disability assistance
    10  pursuant to subdivision six  of  section  ninety-five-a  of  the  social
    11  services  law,  the  special  supplemental  nutrition program for women,
    12  infants and children administered by the department of  health  pursuant
    13  to section twenty-five hundred seven-a of the public health law, and the
    14  utility assistance and rental and mortgage assistance programs available
    15  through  the division of housing and community renewal and the office of
    16  temporary and disability assistance. The commissioner shall also provide
    17  information about such programs on the department's website. Such infor-
    18  mation shall be prominently displayed and easily accessible by  individ-
    19  uals filing a claim or certifying for unemployment benefits.
    20    §  2.  The public health law is amended by adding a new section 2507-a
    21  to read as follows:
    22    § 2507-a. Special supplemental nutrition program  for  women,  infants
    23  and  children; outreach program.  1. In accordance with federal require-
    24  ments and to the extent that federal matching funds are  available,  the
    25  department  shall  develop and implement an outreach plan to inform low-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD15081-01-2
        S. 9065                             2

     1  income households potentially eligible to receive  special  supplemental
     2  nutrition  program for women, infants and children (WIC) benefits of the
     3  availability and benefits of the program, and to encourage  the  partic-
     4  ipation of eligible households that wish to participate.
     5    2.  The  department shall establish procedures in cooperation with the
     6  commissioner of the department of labor  to  ensure  that  informational
     7  leaflets  about  the  special  supplemental nutrition program for women,
     8  infants and children are sent to each local employment  services  office
     9  for  distribution  pursuant  to  section five hundred forty of the labor
    10  law.  Each leaflet shall include but not be limited to: contact informa-
    11  tion for the New York state special supplemental nutrition  program  for
    12  women,  infants and children program, estimated maximum income eligibil-
    13  ity levels by household size for participation in  the  special  supple-
    14  mental nutrition program for women, infants and children program and the
    15  availability  of local social services departments to provide additional
    16  information about the program.
    17    3. In accordance with applicable federal laws, rules  and  regulations
    18  the  department  shall make available appropriate bilingual materials so
    19  that  potentially  eligible  non-English  speaking  individuals  may  be
    20  informed  about  the  special  supplemental nutrition program for women,
    21  infants and children.
    22    § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
    23  it shall have become a law.