S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5871
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 23, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. DAVILA -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Social Services
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to providing public
   assistance for home internet service
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 131-a of the social services  law,
 as  amended  by section 12 of part B of chapter 436 of the laws of 1997,
 is amended to read as follows:
   1. Any inconsistent provision of this chapter or  other  law  notwith-
 standing,  social  services  officials  shall,  in  accordance  with the
 provisions of this section and regulations of  the  department,  provide
 public  assistance  to  needy persons who constitute or are members of a
 family household, who are determined to be eligible in  accordance  with
 standards  of  need  established  in  subdivision  two  OF THIS SECTION.
 Provision for such persons, for all items of need,  less  any  available
 income  or  resources  which are not required to be disregarded by other
 provisions of this chapter,  shall  be  made  in  accordance  with  this
 section.  Such provision shall be made in monthly or semi-monthly allow-
 ances and grants within the limits of the schedules included in subdivi-
 sion three of this section except for additional amounts which shall  be
 included  therein  for shelter, fuel for heating, HOME INTERNET SERVICE,
 additional cost of meals for persons who are unable to prepare meals  at
 home  and for other items for which specific provision is otherwise made
 in THIS article [five].  As used in this section the term "shelter"  may
 include  a  grant not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars toward
 the purchase of an interest in a cooperative. A social services official
 shall require assignment of recipient's equity in such cooperative hous-
 ing in accordance with the rules of the board  and  regulations  of  the
 department.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05572-01-3
 A. 5871                             2
              

 
   §  2.  Paragraph  (b)  of subdivision 2 of section 131-a of the social
 services law, as amended by chapter 87 of the laws of 1993,  is  amended
 to read as follows:
   (b)  In  addition  to  the  above,  the standard of need shall include
 amounts for shelter and  fuel  for  heating,  amounts  for  home  energy
 payments  (including  amounts  for  supplemental  home  energy  grants),
 AMOUNTS FOR HOME INTERNET SERVICE PAYMENTS, amounts for additional  cost
 of meals for persons who are unable to prepare meals at home and amounts
 for other items when required by individual case circumstances for which
 specific provision is otherwise made in THIS article [five of this chap-
 ter]. For purposes of determining the amount to be included in the stan-
 dard of need for shelter and fuel for heating, to the extent that feder-
 al  reimbursement is available therefor, social services officials shall
 include in the household any child who has entered foster care  pursuant
 to  section three hundred eighty-four-a of this chapter who was eligible
 for and in receipt of assistance and care as a member of  the  household
 in  and  for the month of entry into foster care and for whom the family
 service plan, as defined in section four hundred nine-e of this chapter,
 includes a goal of discharge to a member of the household.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
 repeal  of  any  rule  or regulation necessary for the implementation of
 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made  and  completed
 on or before such effective date.