Bill Text: NY S09106 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Relates to home visiting services for applicants for, or recipients of, public assistance benefits who are exempt from certain work activities; provides criteria for those eligible for such home visiting services.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-06-01 - SUBSTITUTED BY A2549 [S09106 Detail]
Download: New_York-2021-S09106-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 9106 IN SENATE May 9, 2022 ___________ Introduced by Sen. PERSAUD -- 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 home visiting services for applicants for, or recipients of, public assistance bene- fits who are exempt from certain work activities The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 332 of the social services law is amended by adding 2 a new subdivision 1-a to read as follows: 3 1-a. Applicants for, or recipients of, public assistance who are 4 exempt from work activities pursuant to paragraph (d) or (e) of subdivi- 5 sion one of this section shall be eligible to receive home visiting 6 services that meet the criteria established pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 711, 7 so long as such individual meets all other eligibility criteria estab- 8 lished pursuant to the particular home visiting model. The local social 9 services district shall provide information to any applicant or recipi- 10 ent that is interested in receiving such services and provide assistance 11 in determining the most appropriate model to meet the particular needs 12 of the individual. 13 § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 335 of the social services law, as 14 amended by chapter 214 of the laws of 1998, is amended and a new para- 15 graph (c) is added to subdivision 2 to read as follows: 16 1. Each social services official shall ensure that each recipient of 17 public assistance who is a member of a household with dependent children 18 and is eighteen years of age or older, or who is sixteen or seventeen 19 years of age and is not attending secondary school and has not completed 20 high school or a high school equivalency program, receives an assessment 21 of employability based on his or her educational level, including liter- 22 acy and English language proficiency, basic skills proficiency, child 23 care and other supportive services needs; and skills, prior work experi- 24 ence, training and vocational interests. This assessment shall include a 25 review of family circumstances including a review of any special needs 26 of a child and whether home visiting services would be appropriate and 27 beneficial for the family. Such assessment shall be completed within EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD06528-01-1S. 9106 2 1 ninety days of the date on which such person is determined eligible for 2 public assistance. An applicant for or recipient of public assistance 3 may be assigned to work activities prior to completion of such assess- 4 ment. 5 (c) Where an assessment indicates that home visiting services would be 6 appropriate and beneficial to the public assistance household, and such 7 services are available, the local social services official shall encour- 8 age the recipient to participate in such services. To the extent that 9 such participant is interested in receiving home visiting services, the 10 local social services official shall assign the participant to a work 11 activity in accordance with paragraph (f) or (m) of subdivision one of 12 section three hundred thirty-six of this title, where such home visiting 13 services shall count towards the individual's work requirements as set 14 forth in section three hundred thirty-five-b of this title. 15 § 3. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 5 of section 335-b of the social 16 services law, as added by section 148 of part B of chapter 436 of the 17 laws of 1997, is amended to read as follows: 18 (c) Each social services official shall ensure that each parent or 19 caretaker of a child, when such parent or caretaker is receiving public 20 assistance, is engaged in work as soon as practicable. Provided, howev- 21 er, that such social services official shall ensure that each parent or 22 caretaker of a child under the age of five is provided with information 23 regarding home visiting programs which meet the criteria established 24 pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 711 in their area, and that such home visiting 25 services may satisfy a portion of such individual's required work activ- 26 ities. 27 § 4. Paragraphs (f) and (m) of subdivision 1 of section 336 of the 28 social services law, paragraph (f) as amended by chapter 275 of the laws 29 of 2017, and paragraph (m) as amended by section 148 of part B of chap- 30 ter 436 of the laws of 1997, are amended to read as follows: 31 (f) job search and job readiness assistance, which shall include 32 activities with the goal of seeking or obtaining employment, or prepara- 33 tion to seek or obtain employment, including life-skills training, which 34 shall include but not be limited to home visiting services to the recip- 35 ient and their family, and provided further that job search is an active 36 and continuing effort to secure employment configured by the local 37 social services official; and such social services district may work in 38 cooperation with the department of labor to provide workforce guidance 39 and information in accordance with section ten-c of the labor law; 40 (m) job search and job readiness assistance, as defined in paragraph 41 (f) of this subdivision, once the individual has exceeded the six week 42 limit set in federal law; 43 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
