NY State Senate Bill 2021-S8361

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Social Services Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Feb 16, 2022	referred to social services

2021-S8361 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A9121
Current Committee:: Senate Social Services
Law Section:: Social Services Law
Laws Affected:: Add §98, Soc Serv L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S4546, S9827, A4956, A8612

2021-S8361 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes an emergency heating energy assistance program benefit to provide emergency assistance to certain households where such household is threatened with shut-off or an energy emergency due to nonpayment.

2021-S8361 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8361

SPONSOR: PARKER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the social services law, in relation to establishing an
emergency heating energy assistance program benefit

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

Households eligible for the Heating Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) and
meeting certain criteria shall be eligible for an Emergency Heating
Energy Assistance Program (E-HEAP) benefit without having a utility
termination notice.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Establishes a state program to provide an E-HEAP benefit.

Section 2. Defines eligibility criteria for an E-HEAP benefit.

Section 3. Relates to the amount and calculation of benefit payments

Section 4. Establishes the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating financial impact on count-
less New Yorkers, especially those who were already struggling to make
ends meet. This legislation would provide an E-HEAP program benefit to
households eligible for the HEAP program if such households were facing
an energy emergency.

Currently, in order to qualify for E-HEAP, a customer must be facing a
crisis emergency which is defined as when the loss of heat is eminent.
For those customers receiving heat via a utility, a final termination
notice of service is used as a threshold. This requirement incentivizes,
and indeed mandates, that customers fall significantly behind in payment
in order to avail themselves of this much-needed benefit. Eliminating
this requirement and setting a financial threshold would reduce the
administrative burden that the Office of Temporary Disability Assist-
ance, vendors, fuel suppliers, and customers must bear under the current
process and allow for customers to receive assistance in a more timely
manner.

This legislation would allow customers to qualify for this critical
assistance prior to facing termination, ensuring that their service is
not put as risk as is the policy currently. Such a simple change will
benefit customers, such as low-income households and seniors on fixed
incomes, who might otherwise voluntarily go without food or medication
so they can pay their utility bills.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

This is a new bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the state.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have
become a law.

2021-S8361 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8361
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 16, 2022
                                ___________
 
 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 establishing  an
   emergency heating energy assistance program benefit
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. The social services law is amended by adding a new  section
 98 to read as follows:
   §  98.  EMERGENCY HEATING ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BENEFIT. 1.  DEFI-
 NITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION,  THE  FOLLOWING  TERMS  SHALL
 HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "COMMISSIONER" SHALL MEAN THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF TEMPO-
 RARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE.
   (B)  "HEAP"  SHALL MEAN THE LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM,
 AS DESCRIBED IN SECTION NINETY-SEVEN OF THIS TITLE AND REQUIRED BY TITLE
 26 OF THE FEDERAL OMNIBUS BUDGET RECONCILIATION ACT OF 1981.
   2. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ESTABLISH A  STATE  PROGRAM  TO  PROVIDE  AN
 EMERGENCY  HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BENEFIT TO HOUSEHOLDS ELIGIBLE
 FOR A LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WHERE SUCH HOUSEHOLD  IS
 THREATENED WITH SHUT-OFF OR AN ENERGY EMERGENCY DUE TO NONPAYMENT.
   3.  TO  BE ELIGIBLE FOR A BENEFIT PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, THE APPLI-
 CANT SHALL DOCUMENT THAT HE OR SHE:
   (A) RECEIVES A REGULAR HEAP BENEFIT WHICH IS INSUFFICIENT OR  UNAVAIL-
 ABLE TO AMELIORATE THE EMERGENCY; AND
   (B) (I) IS CURRENTLY WITHOUT HEATING FUEL; OR
   (II) HAS A HEATING FUEL SUPPLY THAT WILL LAST LESS THAN SEVEN CALENDAR
 DAYS; OR
   (III) HAS HAD HEAT-RELATED UTILITY SERVICE DISCONNECTED; OR
   (IV)  HAS  HEAT-RELATED UTILITY SERVICE CURRENTLY ELIGIBLE FOR DISCON-
 NECTION; OR
   (V) IS EXPERIENCING AN ENERGY EMERGENCY DUE TO:
   (1) HAVING HEAT-RELATED UTILITY SERVICE ARREARS MORE THAN  SIXTY  DAYS
 IN ARREARS; OR
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14414-01-2

 S. 8361                             2
 
   (2)  HAVING OUTSTANDING HEAT-RELATED UTILITY SERVICE ARREARS IN EXCESS
 OF THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS.
   4.  FOR  PURPOSES  OF  THE  ANNUAL HEAP STATE PLAN, AND SUBJECT TO THE
 AVAILABILITY OF FEDERAL FUNDS, A SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT MAY  AUTHORIZE
 ONE OR MORE HOUSEHOLD PAYMENTS PER PROGRAM YEAR IN AN AMOUNT WHICH COIN-
 CIDES  WITH  THE  EMERGENCY  BENEFITS  MATRIX  DEVELOPED ANNUALLY BY THE
 DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE FOR THE CURRENT PROGRAM YEAR.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day  after  it  shall
 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
 repeal  of  any  rule  or regulation necessary for the implementation of
 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made  and  completed
 on or before such effective date.

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Senate Bill S8361

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Social Services Committee

2021-S8361 (ACTIVE) - Details

2021-S8361 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2021-S8361 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S8361 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S8361

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Sponsored By

Kevin S. Parker

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Social Services Committee

2021-S8361 (ACTIVE) - Details

2021-S8361 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2021-S8361 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S8361 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments