Bill Text: NY S05810 | 2019-2020 | 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: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-12-28 - COMMITTED TO RULES [S05810 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S05810-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          5810

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                      May 15, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  MONTGOMERY  -- 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

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD10767-01-9

        S. 5810                             2

     1  review of family circumstances including a review of any  special  needs
     2  of  a  child and whether home visiting services would be appropriate and
     3  beneficial for the family. Such assessment  shall  be  completed  within
     4  ninety  days of the date on which such person is determined eligible for
     5  public assistance. An applicant for or recipient  of  public  assistance
     6  may  be  assigned to work activities prior to completion of such assess-
     7  ment.
     8    (c) Where an assessment indicates that home visiting services would be
     9  appropriate and beneficial to the public assistance household, and  such
    10  services are available, the local social services official shall encour-
    11  age  the  recipient  to participate in such services. To the extent that
    12  such participant is interested in receiving home visiting services,  the
    13  local  social  services  official shall assign the participant to a work
    14  activity in accordance with paragraph (f) or (m) of subdivision  one  of
    15  section three hundred thirty-six of this title, where such home visiting
    16  services  shall  count towards the individual's work requirements as set
    17  forth in section three hundred thirty-five-b of this title.
    18    § 3. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 5 of section  335-b  of  the  social
    19  services  law,  as  added by section 148 of part B of chapter 436 of the
    20  laws of 1997, is amended to read as follows:
    21    (c) Each social services official shall ensure  that  each  parent  or
    22  caretaker  of a child, when such parent or caretaker is receiving public
    23  assistance, is engaged in work as soon as practicable.  Provided, howev-
    24  er, that such social services official shall ensure that each parent  or
    25  caretaker  of a child under the age of five is provided with information
    26  regarding home visiting programs which  meet  the  criteria  established
    27  pursuant  to  42  U.S.C.  711 in their area, and that such home visiting
    28  services may satisfy a portion of such individual's required work activ-
    29  ities.
    30    § 4. Paragraphs (f) and (m) of subdivision 1 of  section  336  of  the
    31  social services law, paragraph (f) as amended by chapter 275 of the laws
    32  of  2017, and paragraph (m) as amended by section 148 of part B of chap-
    33  ter 436 of the laws of 1997, are amended to read as follows:
    34    (f) job search and  job  readiness  assistance,  which  shall  include
    35  activities with the goal of seeking or obtaining employment, or prepara-
    36  tion to seek or obtain employment, including life-skills training, which
    37  shall include but not be limited to home visiting services to the recip-
    38  ient and their family, and provided further that job search is an active
    39  and  continuing  effort  to  secure  employment  configured by the local
    40  social services official; and such social services district may work  in
    41  cooperation  with  the department of labor to provide workforce guidance
    42  and information in accordance with section ten-c of the labor law;
    43    (m) job search and job readiness assistance, as defined  in  paragraph
    44  (f)  of  this subdivision, once the individual has exceeded the six week
    45  limit set in federal law;
    46    § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
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