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.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2549
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 19, 2021
___________
Introduced by M. of A. FAHY, DINOWITZ, EPSTEIN, ABBATE -- read once and
referred 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.
LBD06528-01-1
A. 2549 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.