Bill Text: NY A09123 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Authorizes county offices for the aging to accept and process supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) and low-income home energy assistance program applications.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-05-23 - print number 9123a [A09123 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-A09123-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                         9123--A
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    January 28, 2016
                                       ___________
        Introduced by M. of A. CRESPO -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on  Aging  -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
          amended and recommitted to said committee
        AN ACT to amend the elder law and the social services law,  in  relation
          to  authorizing  county  offices  for  the aging to accept and process
          supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) and  low-income  home
          energy assistance program applications
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. The elder law is amended by adding a  new  section  224  to
     2  read as follows:
     3    § 224. Supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) and low-income
     4  home  energy  assistance  program applications for the elderly. 1.(a) In
     5  consultation with the commissioner of temporary and  disability  assist-
     6  ance,  the  office  shall  establish,  for use by county offices for the
     7  aging, a best practice model for such county offices to accept and proc-
     8  ess applications  for  the  supplemental  nutrition  assistance  program
     9  (SNAP)  pursuant  to  section ninety-five of the social services law and
    10  the low-income home energy assistance program pursuant to section  nine-
    11  ty-seven  of  the  social  services law from elderly individuals seeking
    12  services from such county offices.  Such best practices model  shall  be
    13  developed  and  established  by  the office after a review of all county
    14  offices for the aging programs  offering  similar  services  to  elderly
    15  individuals at the effective date of this section.
    16    (b) Within three years of the establishment of the best practice model
    17  pursuant  to  paragraph  (a) of this subdivision, all county offices for
    18  the aging shall adopt such best practice model and begin  accepting  and
    19  processing  applications  from  elderly individuals for the supplemental
    20  nutrition assistance program (SNAP) pursuant to section  ninety-five  of
    21  the  social  services  law  and  the  low-income  home energy assistance
    22  program pursuant to section ninety-seven of the social services  law.  A
    23  county  office for the aging may request an extension to adopt such best
    24  practice model by making a written request to the director.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD13652-04-6
        A. 9123--A                          2
     1    (c) County offices for the aging and local social  services  districts
     2  shall have the ability to disclose and share information with respect to
     3  such  applications  and  the  supplemental  nutrition assistance program
     4  (SNAP) and the low-income home energy assistance program.  For  purposes
     5  of this section, "elderly individual" shall mean a person sixty years of
     6  age or older.
     7    2.  The  director shall promulgate any rules and regulations necessary
     8  to carry out the provisions of this section.
     9    § 2. Section 95 of the social services law is amended by adding a  new
    10  subdivision 11 to read as follows:
    11    11.  The  office  for the aging is authorized and required, subject to
    12  state and federal laws and regulations  and  in  consultation  with  the
    13  office,  to  act on behalf of the office and accept and process applica-
    14  tions for the supplemental nutrition  assistance  program  from  elderly
    15  individuals  pursuant  to  section  two hundred twenty-four of the elder
    16  law.
    17    § 3. Section 97 of the social services law is amended by adding a  new
    18  subdivision 6 to read as follows:
    19    6.  The  office  for  the aging is authorized and required, subject to
    20  state and federal laws and regulations  and  in  consultation  with  the
    21  department,  to  act  on behalf of the department and accept and process
    22  applications for the low-income  home  energy  assistance  program  from
    23  elderly  individuals  pursuant to section two hundred twenty-four of the
    24  elder law.
    25    § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    26  it shall have become a law; provided,  however,  effective  immediately,
    27  the  addition,  amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces-
    28  sary for the implementation of  this  act  on  its  effective  date  are
    29  authorized to be made on or before such date.