STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3355
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 27, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BRONSON, MEEKS, ROSENTHAL, CLARK, RAMOS, REYES,
GONZALEZ-ROJAS, FORREST, LUNSFORD, SIMON, STIRPE, SIMONE, STECK,
BORES, TAPIA, CRUZ, SEAWRIGHT, BICHOTTE HERMELYN, SHRESTHA, RAGA --
read once and referred to the Committee on Social Services
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to assisting
persons with medically diagnosed HIV infection; and repealing certain
provisions of such law relating thereto
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 14 of section 131-a of the social services law,
2 as amended by section 1 of part ZZ of chapter 59 of the laws of 2018, is
3 amended to read as follows:
4 14. In determining the [need for] amount of aid provided pursuant to
5 public assistance programs, each person living with medically diagnosed
6 HIV infection [as defined by the AIDS institute of the department of
7 health in social services districts with a population over five million]
8 who applies for or is receiving [services through such district's admin-
9 istrative unit providing HIV/AIDS services,] public assistance and has
10 earned and/or unearned income, up to two hundred percent of the federal
11 poverty guidelines, shall not be required to pay more than thirty
12 percent of [his or her] such person's monthly earned and/or unearned
13 income toward the cost of rent that such person has a direct obligation
14 to pay; this provision shall not apply to the amount of payment obli-
15 gations for room and board arrangements attributable to the provision of
16 goods and services other than living space.
17 § 2. Subdivision 15 of section 131-a of the social services law is
18 REPEALED and a new subdivision 15 is added to read as follows:
19 15. Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter or of any other law
20 or regulation to the contrary, in determining the amount of aid provided
21 pursuant to public assistance programs, social service districts shall,
22 upon application, provide access to emergency shelter, transportation,
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00388-01-5
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1 or nutrition payments which the district determines are necessary to
2 establish or maintain independent living arrangements among persons
3 living with medically diagnosed HIV infection who are homeless or facing
4 homelessness and for whom no viable and less costly alternative to hous-
5 ing is available, including HIV emergency shelter allowance payments in
6 excess of those promulgated by the office of temporary and disability
7 assistance but not exceeding an amount reasonably approximate to one
8 hundred ten percent of fair market rent as determined by the federal
9 department of housing and urban development.
10 § 3. Section 131 of the social services law is amended by adding two
11 new subdivisions 21 and 22 to read as follows:
12 21. When necessary, each local social services district shall assist
13 persons with medically diagnosed HIV infection by (i) helping to secure
14 the required documentation to determine eligibility for assistance, (ii)
15 arranging for required face-to-face interviews to be conducted during
16 home visits or at other appropriate sites, and (iii) providing referrals
17 for services as well as other resources and materials as described in
18 subdivision twenty-two of this section.
19 22. The office, in consultation with the department of health, shall
20 create, maintain, and periodically update information on the office's
21 website regarding resources and services throughout the state, including
22 the location of such services, which shall include but not be limited
23 to, community based supports, employment opportunities, and medical
24 professionals specialized in assisting such persons with medically diag-
25 nosed HIV infection to be utilized by the local social services
26 districts. Such information shall also be made available on the office's
27 website.
28 § 4. Paragraphs f and (g) of subdivision 1 of section 153 of the
29 social services law, paragraph f as amended by chapter 81 of the laws of
30 1995 and paragraph (g) as amended by chapter 471 of the laws of 1980,
31 are amended and a new paragraph h is added to read as follows:
32 f. the full amount expended by any district, city, town or Indian
33 tribe for the costs, including the costs of administration of public
34 assistance and care to eligible needy Indians and members of their fami-
35 lies residing on any Indian reservation in this state, after first
36 deducting therefrom any federal funds properly received or to be
37 received on account thereof[.];
38 [(g)] g. fifty per centum of the amount expended for substance abuse
39 services pursuant to this chapter, after first deducting therefrom any
40 federal funds properly received or to be received on account thereof. In
41 the event funds appropriated for such services are insufficient to
42 provide full reimbursement of the total of the amounts claimed by all
43 social services districts pursuant to this section then reimbursement
44 shall be in such proportion as each claim bears to such total[.]; and
45 h. notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law, one hundred per
46 centum of safety net or family assistance expenditures, in social
47 services districts with a population of five million or fewer, for HIV
48 emergency shelter allowance payments in excess of those promulgated by
49 the office of temporary and disability assistance but not exceeding an
50 amount reasonably approximate to one hundred ten percent of fair market
51 rent as determined by the federal department of housing and urban devel-
52 opment, and for transportation or nutrition payments, which the district
53 determines are necessary to establish or maintain independent living
54 arrangements among persons living with medically diagnosed HIV infection
55 and who are homeless or facing homelessness and for whom no viable and
56 less costly alternative to housing is available, after first deducting
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1 therefrom any federal funds properly received or to be received on
2 account thereof.
3 § 5. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
4 have become a law.
