Establishes the rapid employment assistance and counseling hub (REACH) program to dispatch a mobile unit to provide information, assistance and other services concerning unemployment compensation insurance at the request of a legislator or official of a municipality.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5470
SPONSOR: Forrest TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the labor law, in relation to establishing the rapid
employment assistance and counseling hub program
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to create a mobile, rapid-response program
to assist New Yorkers with unemployment compensation services. The REACH
program will deploy mobile units to underserved communities to provide
direct, in-person assistance with unemployment claims, questions, and
issues related to unemployment compensation.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 adds a new section, 541, to the labor law, establishing the
REACH program. The program involves the dispatch of mobile units to
provide unemployment-related services upon request from local legisla-
tors or municipal officials.
Section 2 sets the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Many residents of New York continue to face difficulties accessing unem-
ployment insurance services, particularly in communities where transpor-
tation barriers and technological limitations hinder access to Depart-
ment of Labor offices. The REACH program addresses this gap by bringing
services directly to underserved areas through mobile units, ensuring
equitable access to unemployment benefits and reducing the burden on
residents who might struggle with the online or in-office process.
By providing in-person assistance, these units will help residents with
complex cases or technical difficulties, ensuring they receive timely
and accurate information on their unemployment claims. The initiative
also provides flexibility for legislators and municipal officials to
request services where and when they are needed, fostering responsive-
ness to community needs. This program will empower individuals to more
effectively navigate the unemployment system, reducing frustration and
delays in receiving benefits.
Similar mobile outreach programs in states such as California and Texas
have proven successful in reaching vulnerable populations, leading to
improved access to social services. This program has the potential to
yield comparable positive outcomes in New York, particularly in rural
areas and other regions with limited access to Department of Labor
resources.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The fiscal impact will include the costs of purchasing and operating
mobile units, staffing, and administration. Additional budgetary consid-
erations will include fuel, maintenance, and outreach expenses. Howev-
er, this program has the potential to reduce the administrative burden
on centralized unemployment offices by providing localized service,
thereby improving efficiency.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5470
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 14, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. FORREST -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Labor
AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to establishing the rapid
employment assistance and counseling hub program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The labor law is amended by adding a new section 541 to
2 read as follows:
3 § 541. Rapid employment assistance and counseling hub (REACH) program.
4 1. As used in this section, the term "mobile unit" means a motorized
5 vehicle outfitted to operate as a traveling unemployment service center
6 to provide in-person assistance.
7 2. By January first, two thousand twenty-seven, the department shall
8 establish a rapid employment assistance and counseling hub (REACH)
9 program. The program shall dispatch a mobile unit to provide informa-
10 tion, assistance, and other services concerning unemployment compen-
11 sation insurance upon the request of a state legislator or an official
12 of a municipality or other political subdivision in the legislator's
13 legislative district or the official's municipality or political subdi-
14 vision from nine a.m. to five p.m. for one to four calendar days.
15 3. A mobile unit shall provide residents of the respective localities
16 with an opportunity to meet with an employee of the department of labor
17 concerning unemployment insurance who can:
18 a. address general questions regarding the unemployment program and
19 benefits; and
20 b. assist with specific claim questions, issues, concerns, and trou-
21 bleshooting, including but not limited to:
22 (i) assessing whether an individual is likely to qualify for unemploy-
23 ment compensation;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07366-01-5
A. 5470 2
1 (ii) providing instructions on how to file an unemployment compen-
2 sation claim and assistance in obtaining and interpreting information on
3 the federal 1099-G tax form; and
4 (iii) information on an individual's existing unemployment claim,
5 including but not limited to, the status of the claim, potential
6 solutions and troubleshooting of any issues regarding an individual's
7 eligibility or other barriers to the individual collecting unemployment
8 compensation benefits.
9 4. Any resident of the legislative district, municipality, or poli-
10 tical subdivision, as appropriate, may access the services of the mobile
11 unit. The department may permit individuals to pre-register for assist-
12 ance, but shall not require pre-registration as a condition of assist-
13 ance.
14 5. A legislator or other official seeking mobile unit services shall
15 submit a request for such services, in writing or email, to the depart-
16 ment at least two weeks prior to the requested service date. Unless the
17 mobile unit has already been scheduled to service a different location
18 in response to a prior request from another legislator or other offi-
19 cial, the department shall dispatch the mobile unit to service the
20 location on the requested date. Each legislator or other official shall
21 be limited to twelve requests for the mobile unit in a calendar year,
22 except that if legislators or officials from the same legislative
23 district or municipality request the unit within the same month, the
24 first request in that month shall count toward each requestor's total
25 number of requests.
26 6. No later than January first, two thousand twenty-eight, the commis-
27 sioner shall submit to the governor and the legislature a report that
28 evaluates the results of the program and its effectiveness in assisting
29 residents with unemployment benefit claims and other unemployment
30 concerns. The report shall include a recommendation regarding whether to
31 make changes to the program, and if changes are recommended, if the
32 program should be expanded or otherwise enhanced.
33 7. The commissioner shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to
34 implement the provisions of this act.
35 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
