The New York State Senate

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

                                  10420

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                              May 26, 2016
                               ___________

Introduced by M. of A. JOYNER -- read once and referred to the Committee
  on Social Services

AN  ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to the creation of
  a self-sufficiency standard study

  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
131-bb to read as follows:
  S 131-BB. SELF-SUFFICIENCY STANDARD STUDY. 1. (A)  A  SELF-SUFFICIENCY
STANDARD  MEASURES  HOW  MUCH  INCOME  IS NEEDED FOR A FAMILY OF A GIVEN
COMPOSITION IN A GIVEN GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION TO ADEQUATELY MEET ITS  BASIC
NEEDS WITHOUT PUBLIC OR PRIVATE ASSISTANCE.
  (B)  A  SELF-SUFFICIENCY  STANDARD  IS A TOOL THAT CAN BE USED TO: (I)
CREATE A BENCHMARK  FOR  MEASURING  THE  EFFECTIVENESS  OF  ANTI-POVERTY
PROGRAMS  AND  POLICIES;  (II)  DETERMINE  EFFECTIVE  WAYS  TO  ALLOCATE
RESOURCES THAT WILL LEAD TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT RESULTS IN  LIVING
WAGE  JOBS; (III) TARGET THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRAINING AND INDUSTRIES THAT
RESULT IN HIGHER-WAGE JOBS FOR NEW YORKERS; (IV) ENHANCE EDUCATION,  JOB
TRAINING,  AND  SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS; (V) COUNSEL CLIENTS TRANSI-
TIONING FROM WELFARE AND  UNEMPLOYMENT,  THROUGH  WORKFORCE  DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMS  AND  EDUCATION  AND TRAINING, INTO SELF-SUFFICIENCY WAGE JOBS;
AND (VI) ENHANCE ONLINE "BUDGET CALCULATOR" TOOLS THAT ENABLE  USERS  TO
STRATEGIZE  COMBINATIONS  OF  PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SUPPORTS AND SUBSIDIES,
WITH TRAINING AND EDUCATION, AND/OR EMPLOYMENT, TO INCREASE  INCOME  AND
ECONOMIC SECURITY.
  2.  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  LABOR SHALL CONTRACT WITH A THIRD PARTY, THAT
MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS IN SUBDIVISION FOUR  OF  THIS  SECTION,  FOR  THE
COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA THAT RESULTS IN THE CALCULATION OF BASIC
NEEDS BUDGETS.
  3.  CALCULATION  OF  STANDARD OF BASIC NEEDS BUDGETS. (A) STANDARDS OF
BASIC NEEDS BUDGETS SHALL (I) MEASURE THE NECESSARY INCOME  REQUIRED  TO
MAINTAIN  SELF-SUFFICIENCY WITHOUT ADDITIONAL PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SUPPORT;
(II) ACCOUNT FOR FAMILY SIZE AND COMPOSITION; AND (III) UTILIZE, TO  THE
EXTENT SUCH INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE, THE MOST UP TO DATE COSTS OF BASIC

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

                                                           LBD13663-02-6

A. 10420                            2

NEEDS,  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO  HOUSING, FOOD, TRANSPORTATION,
HEALTH CARE, AND CHILD CARE, AS WELL AS TAXES AND TAX CREDITS, INCLUDING
LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL TAXES AND TAX CREDITS.
  (B)  IN CALCULATING THE STANDARD OF BASIC NEEDS BUDGET, THE CONTRACTOR
SHALL UTILIZE, TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE, DATA THAT IS NATIONALLY STAND-
ARDIZED,  CALCULATED  ANNUALLY,  AND   FROM   RELIABLE   GOVERNMENT   OR
ACADEMIC/SCHOLARLY  SOURCES,  SUCH  AS  THE UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU,
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, OR ANY  OTHER
DATA REPORTED TO STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES USING STANDARDIZED METHODOL-
OGY.  THESE BUDGETS SHOULD BE VARIED GEOGRAPHICALLY, BY COUNTY, AND DATA
PERMITTING, SUB-COUNTY AREAS, FOR EVERY REGION IN THE STATE.
  4. THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTOR. TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE, THE THIRD  PARTY
CONTRACTOR SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS:
  (A)  AT  LEAST  TWENTY  YEARS'  CONTINUOUS EXPERIENCE IN CALCULATING A
STANDARD OF BASIC NEEDS BUDGET, OR  SUBSTANTIALLY  SIMILAR  MEASUREMENT,
AND RELATED ANALYSES;
  (B)  HAS  PERFORMED SUCH CALCULATIONS FOR NO FEWER THAN THIRTY STATES,
INCLUDING NEW YORK STATE;
  (C) CAN DEMONSTRATE A PROVEN RECORD OF  HAVING  PRODUCED  SUCH  CALCU-
LATIONS  AND REPORTS, WITHIN THE BUDGET AND TIME CONSTRAINTS OF PREVIOUS
CONTRACTS; AND
  (D) IS LOCATED IN OR AFFILIATED WITH A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY AND/OR IS
MANAGED BY AN INDIVIDUAL OR INDIVIDUALS WITH  RELEVANT  SKILLS,  EXPERI-
ENCE,  AND EDUCATION THAT QUALIFIES HIM OR HER TO CALCULATE THE INFORMA-
TION REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION.
  5. THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR SHALL  SUBMIT  A  REPORT  OF  THE  FINDINGS
REQUIRED  IN SUBDIVISIONS TWO AND THREE OF THIS SECTION TO THE GOVERNOR,
THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY AND THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF  THE  SENATE,
NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER FIRST, TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN AND BIENNIALLY THER-
EAFTER.
  S  2. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding
the date on which it shall have become a law.