S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
9065
I N S E N A T E
May 6, 2022
___________
Introduced by Sen. CLEARE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Labor
AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to providing notice to unem-
ployment applicants of the supplemental nutrition assistance program
and special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and
children; and to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring
an outreach program for WIC
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 540 of the labor law, as amended by chapter 251 of
the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
§ 540. Information about [food stamp] SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSIST-
ANCE AND SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION, utility, and rental and mort-
gage assistance programs. The commissioner shall establish procedures
whereby each person who files a claim for unemployment insurance pursu-
ant to section five hundred ninety-six of this article, shall receive
information about the [food stamp] SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE
program provided by the office of temporary and disability assistance
pursuant to subdivision six of section ninety-five-a of the social
services law, THE SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN,
INFANTS AND CHILDREN ADMINISTERED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PURSUANT
TO SECTION TWENTY-FIVE HUNDRED SEVEN-A OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW, and the
utility assistance and rental and mortgage assistance programs available
through the division of housing and community renewal and the office of
temporary and disability assistance. The commissioner shall also provide
information about such programs on the department's website. Such infor-
mation shall be prominently displayed and easily accessible by individ-
uals filing a claim or certifying for unemployment benefits.
§ 2. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 2507-a
to read as follows:
§ 2507-A. SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN, INFANTS
AND CHILDREN; OUTREACH PROGRAM. 1. IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL REQUIRE-
MENTS AND TO THE EXTENT THAT FEDERAL MATCHING FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE, THE
DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT AN OUTREACH PLAN TO INFORM LOW-
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15081-01-2
S. 9065 2
INCOME HOUSEHOLDS POTENTIALLY ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL
NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN (WIC) BENEFITS OF THE
AVAILABILITY AND BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM, AND TO ENCOURAGE THE PARTIC-
IPATION OF ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS THAT WISH TO PARTICIPATE.
2. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH PROCEDURES IN COOPERATION WITH THE
COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TO ENSURE THAT INFORMATIONAL
LEAFLETS ABOUT THE SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN,
INFANTS AND CHILDREN ARE SENT TO EACH LOCAL EMPLOYMENT SERVICES OFFICE
FOR DISTRIBUTION PURSUANT TO SECTION FIVE HUNDRED FORTY OF THE LABOR
LAW. EACH LEAFLET SHALL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO: CONTACT INFORMA-
TION FOR THE NEW YORK STATE SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR
WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN PROGRAM, ESTIMATED MAXIMUM INCOME ELIGIBIL-
ITY LEVELS BY HOUSEHOLD SIZE FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE SPECIAL SUPPLE-
MENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN PROGRAM AND THE
AVAILABILITY OF LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENTS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
3. IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE FEDERAL LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS
THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MAKE AVAILABLE APPROPRIATE BILINGUAL MATERIALS SO
THAT POTENTIALLY ELIGIBLE NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING INDIVIDUALS MAY BE
INFORMED ABOUT THE SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN,
INFANTS AND CHILDREN.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
it shall have become a law.