Assembly Bill A1539A

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  1539--A
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 17, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. JOYNER, ALVAREZ, DICKENS, REYES -- Multi-Spon-
   sored by -- M. of A. SEAWRIGHT  --  read  once  and  referred  to  the
   Committee on Social Services -- reported and referred to the Committee
   on  Ways  and  Means  --  committee  discharged, bill amended, ordered
   reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to the creation  of
   a self-sufficiency standard study
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The social services law is amended by adding a new  section
 131-cc to read as follows:
   §  131-CC.  SELF-SUFFICIENCY STANDARD STUDY. 1. (A) A SELF-SUFFICIENCY
 STANDARD MEASURES HOW MUCH INCOME IS NEEDED FOR  A  FAMILY  OF  A  GIVEN
 COMPOSITION  IN A GIVEN GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION TO ADEQUATELY MEET ITS BASIC
 NEEDS WITHOUT PUBLIC OR PRIVATE ASSISTANCE.
   (B) A SELF-SUFFICIENCY STANDARD IS A TOOL THAT CAN  BE  USED  TO:  (I)
 CREATE  A  BENCHMARK  FOR  MEASURING  THE  EFFECTIVENESS OF ANTI-POVERTY
 PROGRAMS  AND  POLICIES;  (II)  DETERMINE  EFFECTIVE  WAYS  TO  ALLOCATE
 RESOURCES  THAT WILL LEAD TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT RESULTS IN LIVING
 WAGE JOBS; (III) TARGET THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRAINING AND INDUSTRIES  THAT
 RESULT  IN HIGHER-WAGE JOBS FOR NEW YORKERS; (IV) ENHANCE EDUCATION, JOB
 TRAINING, AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS; (V) COUNSEL  CLIENTS  TRANSI-
 TIONING  FROM  WELFARE  AND  UNEMPLOYMENT, THROUGH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
 PROGRAMS AND EDUCATION AND TRAINING, INTO  SELF-SUFFICIENCY  WAGE  JOBS;
 AND  (VI)  ENHANCE ONLINE "BUDGET CALCULATOR" TOOLS THAT ENABLE USERS TO
 STRATEGIZE COMBINATIONS OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE  SUPPORTS  AND  SUBSIDIES,
 WITH  TRAINING  AND EDUCATION, AND/OR EMPLOYMENT, TO INCREASE INCOME AND
 ECONOMIC SECURITY.
   2. THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR SHALL CONTRACT WITH  A  THIRD  PARTY,  THAT
 MEETS  THE  REQUIREMENTS  IN  SUBDIVISION  FOUR OF THIS SECTION, FOR THE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05265-04-3
 A. 1539--A                          2
              

 
 COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA THAT RESULTS IN THE CALCULATION OF BASIC
 NEEDS BUDGETS.
   3.  CALCULATION  OF  STANDARD OF BASIC NEEDS BUDGETS. (A) STANDARDS OF
 BASIC NEEDS BUDGETS SHALL (I) MEASURE THE NECESSARY INCOME  REQUIRED  TO
 MAINTAIN  SELF-SUFFICIENCY WITHOUT ADDITIONAL PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SUPPORT;
 (II) ACCOUNT FOR FAMILY SIZE AND COMPOSITION; AND (III) UTILIZE, TO  THE
 EXTENT SUCH INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE, THE MOST UP TO DATE COSTS OF BASIC
 NEEDS,  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO  HOUSING, FOOD, TRANSPORTATION,
 HEALTH CARE, AND CHILD CARE, AS WELL AS TAXES AND TAX CREDITS, INCLUDING
 LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL TAXES AND TAX CREDITS.
   (B) IN CALCULATING THE STANDARD OF BASIC NEEDS BUDGET, THE  CONTRACTOR
 SHALL UTILIZE, TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE, DATA THAT IS NATIONALLY STAND-
 ARDIZED,   CALCULATED   ANNUALLY,   AND   FROM  RELIABLE  GOVERNMENT  OR
 ACADEMIC/SCHOLARLY SOURCES, SUCH AS THE  UNITED  STATES  CENSUS  BUREAU,
 UNITED  STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, OR ANY OTHER
 DATA REPORTED TO STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES USING STANDARDIZED METHODOL-
 OGY. THESE BUDGETS SHOULD BE VARIED GEOGRAPHICALLY, BY COUNTY, AND  DATA
 PERMITTING, SUB-COUNTY AREAS, FOR EVERY REGION IN THE STATE.
   4. THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTOR.  IN SELECTING A THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTOR, THE
 DEPARTMENT  OF  LABOR  MAY  CONSIDER THE POTENTIAL CONTRACTOR'S YEARS OF
 EXPERIENCE; THE NUMBER OF CALCULATIONS PERFORMED FOR OTHER  STATES;  THE
 RECORD OF HAVING PRODUCED SUCH CALCULATIONS AND REPORTS WITHIN THE BUDG-
 ET  AND  TIME  CONSTRAINTS  OF  PREVIOUS CONTRACTS; THE RELEVANT SKILLS,
 EXPERIENCE, AND EDUCATION OF THE  CONTRACTOR'S  PERSONNEL;  WHETHER  THE
 CONTRACTOR IS LOCATED IN OR AFFILIATED WITH A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY; AND
 SUCH  OTHER FACTORS AS THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR DEEMS RELEVANT AND APPRO-
 PRIATE TO EVALUATE THE QUALIFICATIONS OF SUCH THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTOR.
   5. THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR SHALL  SUBMIT  A  REPORT  OF  THE  FINDINGS
 REQUIRED  IN SUBDIVISIONS TWO AND THREE OF THIS SECTION TO THE GOVERNOR,
 THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY AND THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF  THE  SENATE,
 NO  LATER  THAN  SEPTEMBER FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX AND BIENNIALLY
 THEREAFTER.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of April next  succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law.