Bill Text: NY S05552 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Relates to the creation of a self-sufficiency standard study regarding how much income is needed for a family of a given composition in a given geographic location to adequately meet its basic needs without public or private assistance.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-01-14 - REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE [S05552 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S05552-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         5552--A

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                       May 6, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen. PERSAUD -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services --  recom-
          mitted  to  the Committee on Social Services in accordance with Senate
          Rule  6,  sec.  8  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered
          reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

        AN  ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to the creation of
          a self-sufficiency standard study

          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  131-bb to read as follows:
     3    § 131-bb. Self-sufficiency standard study. 1. (a)  A  self-sufficiency
     4  standard  measures  how  much  income  is needed for a family of a given
     5  composition in a given geographic location to adequately meet its  basic
     6  needs without public or private assistance.
     7    (b)  A  self-sufficiency  standard  is a tool that can be used to: (i)
     8  create a benchmark  for  measuring  the  effectiveness  of  anti-poverty
     9  programs  and  policies;  (ii)  determine  effective  ways  to  allocate
    10  resources that will lead to economic development that results in  living
    11  wage  jobs; (iii) target the development of training and industries that
    12  result in higher-wage jobs for New Yorkers; (iv) enhance education,  job
    13  training,  and  skills development programs; (v) counsel clients transi-
    14  tioning from welfare and  unemployment,  through  workforce  development
    15  programs  and  education  and training, into self-sufficiency wage jobs;
    16  and (vi) enhance online "budget calculator" tools that enable  users  to
    17  strategize  combinations  of  public and private supports and subsidies,
    18  with training and education, and/or employment, to increase  income  and
    19  economic security.
    20    2.  The  department  of  labor shall contract with a third party, that
    21  meets the requirements in subdivision four  of  this  section,  for  the

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00051-02-0
        S. 5552--A                          2

     1  collection and analysis of data that results in the calculation of basic
     2  needs budgets.
     3    3.  Calculation  of  standard of basic needs budgets. (a) Standards of
     4  basic needs budgets shall (i) measure the necessary income  required  to
     5  maintain  self-sufficiency without additional public or private support;
     6  (ii) account for family size and composition; and (iii) utilize, to  the
     7  extent such information is available, the most up to date costs of basic
     8  needs,  including  but  not  limited  to  housing, food, transportation,
     9  health care, and child care, as well as taxes and tax credits, including
    10  local, state and federal taxes and tax credits.
    11    (b) In calculating the standard of basic needs budget, the  contractor
    12  shall utilize, to the extent practicable, data that is nationally stand-
    13  ardized,   calculated   annually,   and   from  reliable  government  or
    14  academic/scholarly sources, such as the  United  States  census  bureau,
    15  United  States department of housing and urban development, or any other
    16  data reported to state and federal agencies using standardized methodol-
    17  ogy. These budgets should be varied geographically, by county, and  data
    18  permitting, sub-county areas, for every region in the state.
    19    4.  Third-party contractor. To the extent practicable, the third party
    20  contractor shall have the following characteristics:
    21    (a) at least twenty years'  continuous  experience  in  calculating  a
    22  standard  of  basic  needs budget, or substantially similar measurement,
    23  and related analyses;
    24    (b) has performed such calculations for no fewer than  thirty  states,
    25  including New York state;
    26    (c)  can  demonstrate  a  proven record of having produced such calcu-
    27  lations and reports, within the budget and time constraints of  previous
    28  contracts; and
    29    (d) is located in or affiliated with a college or university and/or is
    30  managed  by  an  individual or individuals with relevant skills, experi-
    31  ence, and education that qualifies him or her to calculate the  informa-
    32  tion required by this section.
    33    5.  The  department  of  labor  shall  submit a report of the findings
    34  required in subdivisions two and three of this section to the  governor,
    35  the  speaker  of the assembly and the temporary president of the senate,
    36  no later than September first, two thousand  twenty-one  and  biennially
    37  thereafter.
    38    §  2. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding
    39  the date on which it shall have become a law.