S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5506
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 15, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Social Services
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law,  in  relation  to  establishing
   transition shelters for individuals released from prison
 
   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.  TRANSITION SHELTERS PROGRAM. 1.  NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER
 PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, EACH LOCAL  SOCIAL  SERVICES  DISTRICT
 SHALL  PROVIDE  A  SHELTER SUPPLEMENT TO ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS TO PREVENT
 HOMELESSNESS, PROVIDE HOUSING COUNSELING AND PREVENT RISK OF OVERDOSE IN
 ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION.
   2. (A) EACH LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT  SHALL  PROVIDE  A  SHELTER
 SUPPLEMENT  TO  ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES AS DEFINED IN SUBDIVI-
 SION THREE OF THIS SECTION IN AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO EIGHTY-FIVE PERCENT  OF
 THE  FAIR  MARKET  RENT  IN  THE DISTRICT, AS ESTABLISHED BY THE FEDERAL
 DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT,  FOR  THE  PARTICULAR  UNIT
 SIZE.  THE  SHELTER  SUPPLEMENT  SHALL  BE  ISSUED  BY  THE LOCAL SOCIAL
 SERVICES DISTRICT DIRECTLY TO THE LANDLORD OR VENDOR.
   (B) A LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT MAY ALSO  PROVIDE  AN  ADDITIONAL
 SUPPLEMENT  IN EXCESS OF EIGHTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE FAIR MARKET RENT, UP
 TO ONE HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE FAIR  MARKET  RENT  IN  THE  DISTRICT,  AS
 ESTABLISHED  BY THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
 PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THE COST OF THE ADDITIONAL SUPPLEMENT SHALL  BE  PAID
 BY THE LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT.
   (C)  AS PART OF THE SUPPLEMENT REFERENCED IN THIS SUBDIVISION, WHEN AN
 ELIGIBLE RECIPIENT, AS DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION  THREE  OF  THIS  SECTION,
 INCURS  SEPARATE  FUEL  FOR  HEATING EXPENSES, THE LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES
 DISTRICT SHALL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL  FUNDS  TO  COVER  SUCH  EXPENSES,  IN
 EXCESS  OF  THE  AMOUNT  ALREADY  REQUIRED FOR SHELTER COSTS PURSUANT TO
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01303-01-3
              

 A. 5506                             2
 
 PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS  SUBDIVISION.  SUCH  HEATING  ALLOWANCE  SHALL  BE
 EQUIVALENT TO THE FULL AMOUNT OF FUEL FOR HEATING EXPENSES, AND SHALL BE
 MADE  DIRECTLY  TO  THE  VENDOR ON BEHALF OF THE RECIPIENT. ANY EXPENSES
 INCURRED BY THE LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT THAT ARE (I) IN EXCESS OF
 A  RECIPIENT'S  FUEL  FOR HEATING ALLOWANCE AUTHORIZED PURSUANT TO PARA-
 GRAPH (B) OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF SECTION ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-ONE-A OF THIS
 TITLE; (II) MADE PURSUANT TO SECTION NINETY-SEVEN OF  THIS  CHAPTER;  OR
 (III)  TO COVER ANY ARREARS PAYMENTS MADE TO RESTORE HEATING SERVICES OR
 TO PREVENT A SHUT-OFF, SHALL NOT BE RECOUPABLE.
   3. INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM INCARCERATION AND  ARE  NOT
 CURRENTLY RECEIVING ANOTHER SHELTER SUPPLEMENT SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE
 SHELTER SUPPLEMENT PROVIDED UNDER THIS SECTION.
   4.  LOCAL  SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICTS SHALL PROVIDE THE SHELTER SUPPLE-
 MENT REQUIRED UNDER THIS SECTION FOR UP TO SIX MONTHS. A SHELTER SUPPLE-
 MENT MAY BE PROVIDED FOR AN ADDITIONAL LENGTH OF TIME FOR GOOD CAUSE.
   5. EMPLOYEES OF A SHELTER CREATED PURSUANT TO THIS  SECTION  SHALL  BE
 TRAINED  REGARDING  OVERDOSE  PREVENTION AND SHALL PROVIDE HOUSING COUN-
 SELING TO SUCH ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS.
   § 2. Section 153 of the social services law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 13 to read as follows:
   13. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO  THE  CONTRARY,  ONE
 HUNDRED  PERCENT  OF  COSTS  FOR SHELTER SUPPLEMENTS INCLUDING COSTS FOR
 HEATING EXPENSES,  AND  HOME  STABILITY  SUPPORT  SERVICES  REQUIRED  BY
 SECTION  ONE  HUNDRED  THIRTY-ONE-CC OF THIS CHAPTER SHALL BE SUBJECT TO
 REIMBURSEMENT BY THE STATE, AS FOLLOWS:
   (A) BY FEDERAL FUNDS THAT CAN BE PROPERLY  APPLIED  TO  SUCH  EXPENDI-
 TURES; AND
   (B) THE REMAINDER TO BE PAID BY STATE FUNDS.
   §  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.