Senate Bill S5249A

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                 5249--A

                       2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              May 15, 2013
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sens. CARLUCCI, KLEIN, SAVINO, VALESKY -- read twice and
  ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on
  Social  Services -- recommitted to the Committee on Social Services in
  accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- reported favorably from  said
  committee  and  committed  to  the  Committee  on Finance -- committee
  discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
  to said committee

AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to allowing  social
  services  districts to offer participants in public assistance employ-
  ment programs an option to complete a course in financial literacy and
  personal finance

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Paragraph (f) of subdivision 1 of section 336 of the social
services  law, as amended by section 148 of part B of chapter 436 of the
laws of 1997, is amended and a new paragraph (j-l) is added to  read  as
follows:
  (f)  job search and job readiness assistance, provided that job search
is an active and continuing effort to secure  employment  configured  by
the  local  social  services official; AND SUCH SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT
MAY WORK IN COOPERATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR  TO  PROVIDE  WORK-
FORCE  GUIDANCE  AND INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION TEN-C OF THE
LABOR LAW;
  (J-L) EDUCATION OR A COURSE OF INSTRUCTION IN FINANCIAL  LITERACY  AND
PERSONAL  FINANCE THAT INCLUDES INSTRUCTION ON HOUSEHOLD CASH MANAGEMENT
TECHNIQUES, CAREER ADVICE TO OBTAIN A WELL PAYING AND SECURE JOB,  USING
CHECKING  AND  SAVINGS  ACCOUNTS, OBTAINING AND UTILIZING SHORT AND LONG
TERM CREDIT, SECURING A LOAN OR OTHER LONG  TERM  FINANCING  ARRANGEMENT
FOR  HIGH COST ITEMS SUCH AS A MOTOR VEHICLE, HOME OR PARTICIPATION IN A
HIGHER EDUCATION COURSE OF INSTRUCTION OR TRADE  SCHOOL,  OBTAINING  AND

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD10797-04-4

              

S. 5249--A                          2

USING  CREDIT  AND DEBIT CARDS, INVESTING AND SAVING MONEY, AND PLANNING
FOR RETIREMENT;
  S  2.  Subdivision  1  of section 336-a of the social services law, as
amended by section 4 of part J of chapter 58 of the  laws  of  2014,  is
amended to read as follows:
  1.  Social  services  districts shall make available vocational educa-
tional training and educational activities.  Such activities may include
but need not be limited to, high school education or education  designed
to  prepare  a  participant  for  a high school equivalency certificate,
basic and remedial education, education in English  proficiency,  EDUCA-
TION  IN  FINANCIAL  LITERACY AND PERSONAL FINANCE PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH
(J-1) OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF SECTION THREE  HUNDRED  THIRTY-SIX  OF  THIS
TITLE,  and  no more than a total of four years of post-secondary educa-
tion (or the part-time equivalent). Educational activities  pursuant  to
this  section  may  be offered with any of the following providers which
meet the performance or assessment standards established in  regulations
by  the  commissioner  for such providers: a community college, licensed
trade school, registered business school, or  a  two-year  or  four-year
college;  provided,  however, that such post-secondary education must be
necessary to the attainment of the participant's  individual  employment
goal  as  set  forth in the employability plan and such goal must relate
directly to obtaining useful employment in a recognized occupation. When
making any assignment to  any  educational  activity  pursuant  to  this
subdivision,  such assignment shall be permitted only to the extent that
such assignment is  consistent  with  the  individual's  assessment  and
employment  plan goals in accordance with sections three hundred thirty-
five and three hundred thirty-five-a of this  title  and  shall  require
that  the individual maintains satisfactory academic progress and hourly
participation is documented consistent with federal and  state  require-
ments.  For  purposes of this provision "satisfactory academic progress"
shall mean having a cumulative C average, or its equivalent,  as  deter-
mined by the academic institution. The requirement to maintain satisfac-
tory academic progress may be waived if done so by the academic institu-
tion  and the social services district based on undue hardship caused by
an event such as a personal injury or illness of the student, the  death
of  a  relative  of  the student or other extenuating circumstances. Any
enrollment in post-secondary education beyond a twelve month period must
be combined with no less than twenty  hours  of  participation  averaged
weekly  in  paid employment or work activities or community service when
paid employment is not available.
  S 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
it shall have become a law; provided, however, that the commissioner  of
temporary  and  disability  assistance  is  immediately  authorized  and
directed to promulgate, amend and/or repeal any  rules  and  regulations
that  may  be  necessary  to implement the provisions of this act on its
effective date.