Waives certain requirements of the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children during a state of emergency declared as a result of a public health crisis, including: allowing any unused portions of any monthly allowances to carry over from month to month; increasing the amount of the monetary limit of not less than sixty percent for the purchase of fresh fruit and vegetables.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A2240
SPONSOR: Hyndman TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to directing the
commissioner of health to waive certain requirements of the special
supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children during a
state of emergency declared as a result of a public health crisis
PURPOSE:
To ensure that flexibility is built into certain requirements of the
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children
(WIC) that will apply during a public health crisis.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Amends Section 206 of the Public Health Law to provide the Commissioner
of Health with the power to add flexibility to the WIC program in the
following ways:
(1)Program participants must be able to carry over voucher allotments
from month to month, instead of the present practice of monthly expira-
tion;
(2)Program participants must be given the flexibility to purchase addi-
tional supplies of fresh fruits and vegetables, by increasing the mone-
tary limit by at least 60% (to at least $15.00), as supply issues and
the lack of affordability due to COVID-19 persist;
(3)Any other requirements of the program that the Commissioner decides
is in the best interest of beneficiaries.
JUSTIFICATION:
The COVID-19 Pandemic has touched every facet of our life, including the
very nature of how we shop as consumers and how the supply chain inter-
acts with merchants. Many WIC customers have been denied benefits
because stores were literally out of a product, charging high process
for fruits and vegetables, and with each store having limited hours,
long lines, social distancing protocols and restrictions on bringing
children to shop with you, many individuals are being denied their WIC
benefits at the time when they need them the absolute most. This legis-
lation gives the Health Commissioner necessary flexibility to address on
the ground issues that persist due to the public health pandemic.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2240
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 25, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. HYNDMAN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to directing the
commissioner of health to waive certain requirements of the special
supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children during
a state of emergency declared as a result of a public health crisis
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 206 of the public health law is
2 amended by adding a new paragraph (w) to read as follows:
3 (w) during a state of emergency declared as a result of a public
4 health crisis, waive certain requirements of the special supplemental
5 nutrition program for women, infants and children, including, but not
6 limited to:
7 (i) the requirement that the monthly allowances available under the
8 program expire each month and provide that any unused portions of such
9 allowances may carry over from month to month;
10 (ii) the current monthly monetary limit for the purchase of fresh
11 fruits and vegetables and provide for an increase in the amount of such
12 monetary limit of not less than sixty percent; and
13 (iii) any other requirements of the program that the commissioner
14 deems necessary to waive in order to protect the best interests of
15 eligible individuals receiving allowances under the program.
16 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03697-01-3
