S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
5810
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
May 15, 2019
___________
Introduced by Sen. MONTGOMERY -- 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 home visiting
services for applicants for, or recipients of, public assistance bene-
fits who are exempt from certain work activities
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 332 of the social services law is amended by adding
a new subdivision 1-a to read as follows:
1-A. APPLICANTS FOR, OR RECIPIENTS OF, PUBLIC ASSISTANCE WHO ARE
EXEMPT FROM WORK ACTIVITIES PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (D) OR (E) OF SUBDIVI-
SION ONE OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE HOME VISITING
SERVICES THAT MEET THE CRITERIA ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO 42 U.S.C. 711,
SO LONG AS SUCH INDIVIDUAL MEETS ALL OTHER ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA ESTAB-
LISHED PURSUANT TO THE PARTICULAR HOME VISITING MODEL. THE LOCAL SOCIAL
SERVICES DISTRICT SHALL PROVIDE INFORMATION TO ANY APPLICANT OR RECIPI-
ENT THAT IS INTERESTED IN RECEIVING SUCH SERVICES AND PROVIDE ASSISTANCE
IN DETERMINING THE MOST APPROPRIATE MODEL TO MEET THE PARTICULAR NEEDS
OF THE INDIVIDUAL.
§ 2. Subdivision 1 of section 335 of the social services law, as
amended by chapter 214 of the laws of 1998, is amended and a new para-
graph (c) is added to subdivision 2 to read as follows:
1. Each social services official shall ensure that each recipient of
public assistance who is a member of a household with dependent children
and is eighteen years of age or older, or who is sixteen or seventeen
years of age and is not attending secondary school and has not completed
high school or a high school equivalency program, receives an assessment
of employability based on his or her educational level, including liter-
acy and English language proficiency, basic skills proficiency, child
care and other supportive services needs; and skills, prior work experi-
ence, training and vocational interests. This assessment shall include a
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10767-01-9
S. 5810 2
review of family circumstances including a review of any special needs
of a child AND WHETHER HOME VISITING SERVICES WOULD BE APPROPRIATE AND
BENEFICIAL FOR THE FAMILY. Such assessment shall be completed within
ninety days of the date on which such person is determined eligible for
public assistance. An applicant for or recipient of public assistance
may be assigned to work activities prior to completion of such assess-
ment.
(C) WHERE AN ASSESSMENT INDICATES THAT HOME VISITING SERVICES WOULD BE
APPROPRIATE AND BENEFICIAL TO THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE HOUSEHOLD, AND SUCH
SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE, THE LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES OFFICIAL SHALL ENCOUR-
AGE THE RECIPIENT TO PARTICIPATE IN SUCH SERVICES. TO THE EXTENT THAT
SUCH PARTICIPANT IS INTERESTED IN RECEIVING HOME VISITING SERVICES, THE
LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES OFFICIAL SHALL ASSIGN THE PARTICIPANT TO A WORK
ACTIVITY IN ACCORDANCE WITH PARAGRAPH (F) OR (M) OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF
SECTION THREE HUNDRED THIRTY-SIX OF THIS TITLE, WHERE SUCH HOME VISITING
SERVICES SHALL COUNT TOWARDS THE INDIVIDUAL'S WORK REQUIREMENTS AS SET
FORTH IN SECTION THREE HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE-B OF THIS TITLE.
§ 3. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 5 of section 335-b of the social
services law, as added by section 148 of part B of chapter 436 of the
laws of 1997, is amended to read as follows:
(c) Each social services official shall ensure that each parent or
caretaker of a child, when such parent or caretaker is receiving public
assistance, is engaged in work as soon as practicable. PROVIDED, HOWEV-
ER, THAT SUCH SOCIAL SERVICES OFFICIAL SHALL ENSURE THAT EACH PARENT OR
CARETAKER OF A CHILD UNDER THE AGE OF FIVE IS PROVIDED WITH INFORMATION
REGARDING HOME VISITING PROGRAMS WHICH MEET THE CRITERIA ESTABLISHED
PURSUANT TO 42 U.S.C. 711 IN THEIR AREA, AND THAT SUCH HOME VISITING
SERVICES MAY SATISFY A PORTION OF SUCH INDIVIDUAL'S REQUIRED WORK ACTIV-
ITIES.
§ 4. Paragraphs (f) and (m) of subdivision 1 of section 336 of the
social services law, paragraph (f) as amended by chapter 275 of the laws
of 2017, and paragraph (m) as amended by section 148 of part B of chap-
ter 436 of the laws of 1997, are amended to read as follows:
(f) job search and job readiness assistance, WHICH SHALL INCLUDE
ACTIVITIES WITH THE GOAL OF SEEKING OR OBTAINING EMPLOYMENT, OR PREPARA-
TION TO SEEK OR OBTAIN EMPLOYMENT, INCLUDING LIFE-SKILLS TRAINING, WHICH
SHALL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO HOME VISITING SERVICES TO THE RECIP-
IENT AND THEIR FAMILY, AND provided FURTHER 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 workforce guidance
and information in accordance with section ten-c of the labor law;
(m) job search and job readiness assistance, AS DEFINED IN PARAGRAPH
(F) OF THIS SUBDIVISION, once the individual has exceeded the six week
limit set in federal law;
§ 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
