NY State Senate Bill S8947

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Introduced
In Committee
On Floor Calendar
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
Delivered to Governor
Signed/Vetoed by Governor

Your Voice

Please enter your contact information

First Name *

Last Name *

Email Address *

A valid email address is required.

Home address search or enter your address manually *

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Leave this field blank

Actions

view actions (1)

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jun 07, 2018	referred to rules

S8947 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A11201
Current Committee:: Senate Rules
Law Section:: Social Services Law
Laws Affected:: Add Art 2-A Title 3 §§47 & 47-a, Soc Serv L

S8947 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to creating the Hurricane Maria temporary housing assistance program to provide individuals affected by Hurricane Maria with funding to cover a security deposit and first month's rent for new housing.

S8947 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

 
BILL NUMBER: S8947

SPONSOR: SEPULVEDA
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the social services law, in relation
to creating the Hurricane Maria temporary housing assistance program;
and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill would establish the Hurricane Maria Temporary Housing Assist-
ance Program

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Authorizes local social service agencies to assist families and individ-
uals currently receiving housing assistance under FEMA's Temporary Shel-
ter Assistance (TSA) to qualify for emergency housing deposit and one
month rental assistance.

The legislation should require that the security deposit is returned to
local social service agency, and that the one month rental coverage can

be recovered through withholding of tax returns filed in 2019 and 2020.

50% of the one month rental deducted in the 2019 NYS tax return and 50%
in the 2020 NYS tax return.

This act shall apply to TSA program enrollees impacted by Hurricane
Maria and shall stay in effect for 60 days after TSA is scheduled to end
the program on June 30th 2018.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The proposed initiative will authorize county social service districts
to provide emergency rental and rent deposit assistance to any current
Puerto Rican receiving FEMA assistance under its Transitional Shelter
Assistance (TSA). The FEMA program ends next month and will force into
the streets more than 9,000 island evacuees currently living in hotels
throughout New York. Most do not have the financial ability to pay for a
rental deposit and one-month rent required by property owners.

Uncertainty in Washington continues to plague the lives of thousands of
Puertorriquenos and complicate relief efforts. Americans are being told
they can't stay, while the administration outright refuses or strangles
in red tape the rebuilding of their homes. The situation in Puerto Rico
is far from resolved. People are vulnerable. A measured response is more
than basic human decency, it's a moral imperative to help.

These families and individuals are having a tremendous problem finding
permanent housing because of their status as new arrivals into our
communities, and are having an even harder time paying the rental depos-
its required by landlords. This proposal will allow for local counties
to provide that deposit and one month of housing assistance.  The secu-
rity deposit will be recouped through a deduction from their New York
State tax return over a two-year period.

Following the devastation left by Hurricane Maria, thousands of Puerto
Rican families and individuals have been displaced and are now living
throughout New York State. However, as many await to return to their
communities back home, they are having problems finding an affordable
place to rent. Those who find a place encounter difficulty to keep their
home because they can't pay rental deposits that landlords demand. The
proposal to authorize county social services to offer emergency rental
assistance to Puerto Ricans receiving FEMA assistance through its Tran-
sitional Shelter Assistance is common-sense, since the FEMA program ends
next month. Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans are having a very hard time,
and we need to ensure we provide them with assistance so they can get
back on their feet.

New York must step in and assist the Puerto Rican people in this tremen-
dous time of need. We cannot stand by while 2,300 families risk losing
the emergency housing they so desperately need.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Legislation

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Minimal because of the repayment program it establishes

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediate and shall expire and be deemed repealed August 29, 2018.

S8947 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf


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

                                  8947

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              June 7, 2018
                               ___________

Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules

AN  ACT  to  amend  the social services law, in relation to creating the
  Hurricane Maria temporary housing assistance  program;  and  providing
  for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof

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

  Section 1. Article 2-A of the social services law is amended by adding
a new title 3 to read as follows:
                                 TITLE 3
          HURRICANE MARIA TEMPORARY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
SECTION 47. ESTABLISHMENT; DEFINITIONS.
        47-A. APPLICATION.
  § 47. ESTABLISHMENT; DEFINITIONS. 1. THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED UNDER
THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE COMMISSIONER  THE  HURRICANE  MARIA  TEMPORARY
HOUSING  ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WHICH SHALL ASSIST QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS IN
RECEIVING AN EMERGENCY HOUSING DEPOSIT AND ONE  MONTH'S  RENTAL  ASSIST-
ANCE.
  2. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS TITLE:
  (I)  "QUALIFIED INDIVIDUAL" SHALL MEAN AN INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING ASSIST-
ANCE UNDER THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY'S TRANSITIONAL  SHEL-
TERING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AS A RESULT OF HURRICANE MARIA;
  (II)  "FUNDING"  SHALL  MEAN  A  SECURITY  DEPOSIT  UP TO ONE THOUSAND
DOLLARS AND ONE MONTH'S RENT UP TO ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS; AND
  (III) "QUALIFIED RESIDENCE" SHALL  MEAN  HOUSING  LOCATED  WITHIN  THE
STATE OF NEW YORK WITH A RENT OBLIGATION OF ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS OR LESS
PER MONTH.
  §  47-A.  APPLICATION.  1.  A  QUALIFIED INDIVIDUAL LOCATED WITHIN THE
STATE SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE FUNDING  FOR  A  QUALIFIED  RESIDENCE
FROM  THE  LOCAL  SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT IN WHICH SUCH QUALIFIED RESI-
DENCE IS LOCATED.
  2. WITHIN ONE YEAR OF RECEIPT OF SUCH FUNDING, SUCH QUALIFIED INDIVID-
UAL SHALL REIMBURSE SUCH LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT FOR THE COST  OF

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

                                                           LBD15990-01-8

S. 8947                             2

THE  SECURITY DEPOSIT PROVIDED TO SUCH QUALIFIED INDIVIDUAL UNDER SUBDI-
VISION ONE OF THIS SECTION.
  3. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF
TAXATION AND FINANCE OR HIS OR HER DESIGNEE TO FACILITATE THE REIMBURSE-
MENT  OF  THE  ADDITIONAL FUNDING PROVIDED UNDER SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS
SECTION. SUCH REIMBURSEMENT SHALL BE DIVIDED IN HALF AND COLLECTED  FROM
THE QUALIFIED INDIVIDUAL IN THEIR TWO THOUSAND NINETEEN AND TWO THOUSAND
TWENTY TAX RETURNS, WITH HALF COLLECTED IN TWO THOUSAND NINETEEN AND THE
REMAINING HALF COLLECTED IN TWO THOUSAND TWENTY.
  §  2.  This  act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
deemed repealed August 29, 2018.

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

The New York State Senate

senate Bill S8947

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Your Voice

Actions

S8947 (ACTIVE) - Details

S8947 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S8947 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S8947 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Related Recent Legislation

Related Issues

Related News

senate Bill S8947

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Your Voice

Actions

S8947 (ACTIVE) - Details

S8947 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S8947 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S8947 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Related Recent Legislation

Related Issues

Related News

Article

Article

Press Release