BILL NUMBER: S6443

SPONSOR: PERSAUD
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the social services law, in relation
to exempting income earned by persons under the age of twenty-four from
certain workforce development programs from the determination of need
for public assistance programs

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

This bill would amend the social services law to exclude income of an
individual up to the age of twenty-four earned from their participation
in the summer youth employment program from the calculation of family
income for the purposes of public assistance.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In 2018, about 75,000 young people gained valuable work experience
through the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). However, for certain
young people whose families rely on public benefits such as Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), their family's benefit could be
              

reduced as a result of the additional income from SYEP. This reduction
could have a serious impact on some families, and make them reluctant to
allow their children to participate in career-enhancing programs. The
City therefore proposes that income from SYEP and certain other subsi-
dized youth workforce development programs, such as the federally-funded
In-School and Out-of-School Youth program, be exempt from the family's
income for the purpose of calculating public benefits.

Under current law, a young person's earnings from the Summer Yotith
Employment Program are exempt only if the youth resides in a family with
dependent children and is in school at least part-time.  Workforce
development programs may serve youth up to age 24. The American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, which stipulated that youth up to
age 24 were eligible to receive ARRA-subsidized wages through summer
youth employment programs, provided a. basis for offering such programs
to this age group, and New York City has since served youth through age
24 though SYEP. In addition, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
Act (WIOA) of 2014 raised the age of eligibility for Out-of-School youth
programs to the age of 24. The City proposes to amend SSL 131-a to
provide an exemption for all the earnings from the Summer Youth Employ-
ment Program and other subsidized youth workforce development programs
run by two of the City's social service agencies, regardless of the
presence of dependent children in the household or whether the youth is
in school. This would provide a stronger incentive for a young person to
enroll in a youth workforce development program, because her earnings
would have no negative impact on her family's public assistance. Addi-
tionally, if a young person is living on her own, potentially with her
own children to support, this exemption would also make sure her own
benefits are not hurt by her choice to take advantage of a youth-orient-
ed workforce development program.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.