Authorizes county offices for the aging to accept and process supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) and low-income home energy assistance program applications.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6316
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 2, 2017
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CRESPO -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Aging
AN ACT to amend the elder law and the social services law, in relation
to authorizing county offices for the aging to accept and process
supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) and low-income home
energy assistance program applications
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The elder law is amended by adding a new section 224 to
2 read as follows:
3 § 224. Supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) and low-income
4 home energy assistance program applications for the elderly. 1.(a) In
5 consultation with the commissioner of temporary and disability assist-
6 ance, the office shall establish, for use by county offices for the
7 aging, a best practice model for such county offices to accept and proc-
8 ess applications for the supplemental nutrition assistance program
9 (SNAP) pursuant to section ninety-five of the social services law and
10 the low-income home energy assistance program pursuant to section nine-
11 ty-seven of the social services law from elderly individuals seeking
12 services from such county offices. Such best practices model shall be
13 developed and established by the office after a review of all county
14 offices for the aging programs offering similar services to elderly
15 individuals at the effective date of this section.
16 (b) Within three years of the establishment of the best practice model
17 pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subdivision, all county offices for
18 the aging shall adopt such best practice model and begin accepting and
19 processing applications from elderly individuals for the supplemental
20 nutrition assistance program (SNAP) pursuant to section ninety-five of
21 the social services law and the low-income home energy assistance
22 program pursuant to section ninety-seven of the social services law. A
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08177-01-7
A. 6316 2
1 county office for the aging may request an extension to adopt such best
2 practice model by making a written request to the director.
3 (c) County offices for the aging and local social services districts
4 shall have the ability to disclose and share information with respect to
5 such applications and the supplemental nutrition assistance program
6 (SNAP) and the low-income home energy assistance program. For purposes
7 of this section, "elderly individual" shall mean a person sixty years of
8 age or older.
9 2. The director shall promulgate any rules and regulations necessary
10 to carry out the provisions of this section.
11 § 2. Section 95 of the social services law is amended by adding a new
12 subdivision 11 to read as follows:
13 11. The office for the aging is authorized and required, subject to
14 state and federal laws and regulations and in consultation with the
15 office, to act on behalf of the office and accept and process applica-
16 tions for the supplemental nutrition assistance program from elderly
17 individuals pursuant to section two hundred twenty-four of the elder
18 law.
19 § 3. Section 97 of the social services law is amended by adding a new
20 subdivision 6 to read as follows:
21 6. The office for the aging is authorized and required, subject to
22 state and federal laws and regulations and in consultation with the
23 department, to act on behalf of the department and accept and process
24 applications for the low-income home energy assistance program from
25 elderly individuals pursuant to section two hundred twenty-four of the
26 elder law.
27 § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
28 it shall have become a law; provided, however, effective immediately,
29 the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces-
30 sary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
31 authorized to be made on or before such date.
