BILL NUMBER: S9066

SPONSOR: SEPULVEDA
 
TITLE OF BILL:  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-in-
come home energy assistance program applications

 
PURPOSE:

This bill authorizes county offices for the aging to accept and process
supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) and low-income home
energy assistance program applications.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

This bill amends the Elder Law by introducing the following paragraphs
in the sections disclosed below:

Section 1. adding the new section § 224 whilst consulting with the
commissioner of temporary and disability assistance, offices shall
              

establish for use by county offices for the aging a best practice model
for county offices to accept and process applications for SNAP and HEAP
for elderly individuals seeking services from county offices.

Within 3 years of the establishment of best practice model all county
offices for the aging shall adopt best practice model and begin accept-
ing and processing HEAP and SNAP applications.

A county office for the aging may request extension to adopt such best
practice model by making a written request to the director. The director
is authorized to promulgate any rules and regulations necessary to carry
these provisions out.

In Section 95 of the Social Service law is amended and adds the subdivi-
sion II that authorizes and requires the offices for the aging, subject
to state and federal laws and regulations to act in accordance with the
office, to act on behalf of the office and accept and process the appli-
cations for the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP)
program.

Section 97 of the Social Service law is amended and adds subdivision 6
that authorizes and requires the offices for the aging, subject to state
and federal laws and regulations to act in accordance with the office,
to act on behalf of the office and accept and process the applications
for the low - income home energy assistance program applications.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

During the 2015 Legislative Session, the New York State Assembly Puerto
Rican/Hispanic Task Force released a report documenting rising rates of
elderly poverty all across New York State. Later that year, the New York
Statewide Senior Action network released new data illustrating the deep-
er impact of poverty and income insecurity being faced by the elderly.
The Assembly held a joint hearing with the Task Force, the Aging Commit-
tee and Social Services Committee to hear from experts on how to reduce
rising poverty rates among senior citizens.  Part of the solutions
discussed is the intent of this legislation.  Many seniors are reluctant
to seek food stamps and other government assistance feeling undignified
because they have provided for themselves all their lives. Others are
facing chronic health problems and visiting multiple government offices
for assistance is a hardship. This legislation streamlines the process
for the elderly who arc facing hunger, food and income insecurity. One
stop visit to county offices for the aging to obtain assistance for
their needs should be the norm for our elderly. Making them go through
an array of visits to multiple offices adds to their hardships.

The fall 2015 report by two leading advocacy groups working on women and
elderly issues shows that as many as 80% of single elderly women living
alone are struggling to pay for their basic needs and overall almost 6
in 10 senior citizens are under economic distress. The data was made
public during a NYS Assembly multi-committee hearing to examine rising
poverty rates for senior citizens. The report, released by the NY State-
wide Senior Action Council and Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW) finds
that New York seniors face an array of economic security challenges-ris-
ing food, health care and housing costs, long-term care needs, a soft
labor market and others.  To better capture and understand the chal-
lenges faced by New York's seniors, their families, and state and local
governments, Statewide and WOW have calculated the Elder Economic Inse-
curity Rates (EEIRs) -the proportion of fully retired seniors whose
incomes fall short of the Elder Economic Security Standard (EESS) index,
a measure of the income retired adults require to meet basic monthly
expenses and age in place in their communities. The EESS Index defines
economic security as monthly or annual income needed to meet these basic
expenses without borrowing, relying on gifts from family and friends, or
relying on public assistance programs.

The report highlights the importance of not only preserving, but
strengthening the safety net programs which keep older New Yorkers
living in their homes and communities. When our elder's incomes are not
adjusted to the cost of living, the realities can be very dire.  With
baby boomers joining the rank of the older population, social services,
community supports, and economic programs become even more important for
the strength and stability of the community in general.  Programs under
the NYS Elder Law and the Older Americans Act nutrition, transportation,
senior housing, employment, counseling, and elder abuse prevention, to
name a few - become indispensable in ensuring that those who contributed
to the prosperity of this state and country continue to thrive.

The statewide EEIR for NYS senior households is 58%. More than half of
New York households comprised of either one or two retired seniors lack
the incomes that would provide economic security and insulate them
against poverty as they age.

Major findings of the report indicate:

*New York elders who live alone are much more likely than elder couples
to live in insecurity. The EEIR is 67% for single elder households and
39% for elder couple households.

*EEIRs are highest for elder renters. More than 80% of New York elder
renter households live in insecurity; 54% of elder homeowners with mort-
gages and 41% of elder homeowners without mortgages live in insecurity.

*Elder women experience high insecurity rates. Fifty-eight percent of
New York's senior women lack security incomes. Seventy percent of single

elder women and 58% of single elder men living alone lack security
incomes.

*EEIRs are high in every area of New York. The overall insecurity rate
is highest, at 77%, in the Bronx and Kings County (Brooklyn) and lowest
in Seneca County (39%).

*Among retired elder households, 86% of Hispanic-headed households, 81%
of Asian-headed households, and 60% of African American-headed house-
holds lack incomes that allow basic economic security

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

A9123A of 2015 died in aging. New legislation

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the 180th day after becoming law.