STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5951
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 4, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- 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 recipients of
public assistance who lack appropriate child care
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 5 of section 131 of the social services law, as
2 added by section 11 of part B of chapter 436 of the laws of 1997, is
3 amended to read as follows:
4 5. No public assistance shall be given to an applicant for or recipi-
5 ent of public assistance who has failed to comply with the requirements
6 of this chapter, or has refused to accept employment in which [he or
7 she] such applicant or recipient is able to engage. Except that no
8 applicant or recipient who is the parent or caretaker relative of an
9 eligible child shall be subject to the ineligibility provisions of this
10 chapter if the lack of child care that is appropriate, suitable, within
11 a reasonable distance, and reflects parental preferences prevents the
12 individual from complying with the requirements therein.
13 § 2. Paragraph (e) of subdivision 1 of section 332 of the social
14 services law, as amended by section 148 of part B of chapter 436 of the
15 laws of 1997, is amended and a new paragraph (f) is added to read as
16 follows:
17 (e) a [woman] person who is pregnant, beginning thirty days prior to
18 the medically verified date of delivery of [her] such person's child[.];
19 (f) the parent or caretaker relative of an eligible child, for the
20 period of time during which such participation is prevented by the lack
21 of child care that is appropriate, suitable and within a reasonable
22 distance, and that is reflective of the child care preferences included
23 in the parent's assessment.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10550-01-5
S. 5951 2
1 § 3. Subdivision 1 of section 336-d of the social services law, as
2 added by section 148 of part B of chapter 436 of the laws of 1997, is
3 amended to read as follows:
4 1. Each applicant for or recipient of public assistance shall, upon
5 request of the social services official, demonstrate that [he or she]
6 such applicant or recipient is engaged in an active and continuing
7 effort to achieve self-sufficiency as defined by the department. Such
8 effort shall include but not be limited to an active and continuing
9 search for employment, or for persons otherwise exempt in accordance
10 with section three hundred thirty-two of this title, and where deemed
11 appropriate by the social services official, activities that foster
12 preparation for employment. Each such applicant or recipient shall have
13 an affirmative duty to accept any offer of lawful employment in which
14 [he or she] such applicant or recipient may engage. The failure of a
15 social services district to assign applicants and recipients to activ-
16 ities pursuant to this title shall not relieve such persons from the
17 requirements of this section. An individual who fails to comply with
18 the requirements of [the] this section shall be subject to the
19 provisions set forth in subdivision five of section one hundred thirty-
20 one of this chapter and [of section] sections three hundred forty-one
21 and three hundred forty-two of this title. Except that no applicant or
22 recipient who is the parent or caretaker relative of an eligible child
23 shall be subject to the ineligibility provisions of this section if the
24 lack of child care that is appropriate, suitable, and within a reason-
25 able distance prevents the individual from complying with the work
26 requirements of this section.
27 § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
28 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
29 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
30 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
31 completed on or before such effective date.
