NY State Senate Bill 2023-S4546

Current Bill Status Via A4956 - Vetoed by Governor

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Vetoed By Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Dec 22, 2023	tabled vetoed memo.122
Dec 12, 2023	delivered to governor
Jun 08, 2023	returned to assembly passed senate 3rd reading cal.1741 substituted for s4546
Jun 08, 2023	substituted by a4956 ordered to third reading cal.1741 committee discharged and committed to rules
Feb 10, 2023	referred to social services

Votes

- Jun 8, 2023 - Floor Vote
  A4956
  
  57
  
  Aye
  
  5
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  1
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Floor Vote: Jun 8, 2023
      
      aye (57)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Ashby
      
      Bailey
      
      Breslin
      
      Brisport
      
      Brouk
      
      Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick
      
      Chu
      
      Cleare
      
      Comrie
      
      Felder
      
      Fernandez
      
      Gallivan
      
      Gianaris
      
      Gonzalez
      
      Gounardes
      
      Griffo
      
      Harckham
      
      Helming
      
      Hinchey
      
      Hoylman-Sigal
      
      Jackson
      
      Kavanagh
      
      Kennedy
      
      Krueger
      
      Lanza
      
      Liu
      
      Mannion
      
      Martinez
      
      Mattera
      
      May
      
      Mayer
      
      Murray
      
      Myrie
      
      O'Mara
      
      Ortt
      
      Palumbo
      
      Parker
      
      Persaud
      
      Ramos
      
      Rhoads
      
      Rivera
      
      Rolison
      
      Ryan
      
      Salazar
      
      Sanders Jr.
      
      Scarcella-Spanton
      
      Sepúlveda
      
      Serrano
      
      Skoufis
      
      Stavisky
      
      Stec
      
      Stewart-Cousins
      
      Thomas
      
      Webb
      
      Weber
      
      Weik
      
      nay (5)
      
      Borrello
      
      Martins
      
      Oberacker
      
      Tedisco
      
      Walczyk
      
      excused (1)
      
      Cooney
  Jun 8, 2023 - Rules Committee Vote
  S4546
  
  18
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  2
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  1
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Rules Committee Vote: Jun 8, 2023
      
      aye (18)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Bailey
      
      Breslin
      
      Comrie
      
      Fernandez
      
      Gallivan
      
      Gianaris
      
      Griffo
      
      Kennedy
      
      Krueger
      
      Lanza
      
      Liu
      
      Mayer
      
      Ortt
      
      Parker
      
      Sepúlveda
      
      Stewart-Cousins
      
      Thomas
      
      aye wr (2)
      
      Helming
      
      Stec
      
      excused (1)
      
      O'Mara

2023-S4546 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A4956
Law Section:: Social Services Law
Laws Affected:: Add §98, Soc Serv L
Versions Introduced in 2021-2022 Legislative Session:: S8361, A9121

2023-S4546 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes an emergency heating energy assistance program benefit to provide emergency assistance to certain households where such household is threatened with shut-off or an energy emergency due to nonpayment.

2023-S4546 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S4546

SPONSOR: PARKER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the social services law, in relation to establishing an
emergency heating energy assistance program benefit

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

Households eligible for the Heating Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) and
meeting certain criteria shall be eligible for an Emergency Heating
Energy Assistance Program (E-HEAP) benefit without having a utility
termination notice.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Establishes a state program to provide an E-HEAP benefit.

Subsection 2. Defines eligibility criteria for an E-HEAP benefit.

Subsection 3. Relates to the amount and calculation of benefit payments

Section 2. Establishes the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating financial impact on count-
less New Yorkers, especially those who were already struggling to make
ends meet. This legislation would provide an E-HEAP program benefit to
households eligible for the HEAP program if such households were facing
an energy emergency.

Currently, in order to qualify for E-HEAP, a customer must be facing a
crisis emergency which is defined as when the loss of heat is eminent.
For those customers receiving heat via a utility, a final termination
notice of service is used as a threshold. This requirement incentivizes,
and indeed mandates, that customers fall significantly behind in payment
in order to avail themselves of this much-needed benefit. Eliminating
this requirement and setting a financial threshold would reduce the
administrative burden that the Office of Temporary Disability Assist-
ance, vendors, fuel suppliers, and customers must bear under the current
process and allow for customers to receive assistance in a more timely
manner.

This legislation would allow customers to qualify for this critical
assistance prior to facing termination, ensuring that their service is
not put as risk as is the policy currently. Such a simple change will
benefit customers, such as low-income households and seniors on fixed
incomes, who might otherwise voluntarily go without food or medication
so they can pay their utility bills.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-22: S8361 - REFERRED TO SOCIAL SERVICES

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the state.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have
become a law.

2023-S4546 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4546
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 10, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to establishing  an
   emergency heating energy assistance program benefit
 
   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
 98 to read as follows:
   §  98.  EMERGENCY HEATING ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BENEFIT. 1.  DEFI-
 NITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION,  THE  FOLLOWING  TERMS  SHALL
 HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "COMMISSIONER" SHALL MEAN THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF TEMPO-
 RARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE.
   (B)  "HEAP"  SHALL MEAN THE LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM,
 AS DESCRIBED IN SECTION NINETY-SEVEN OF THIS TITLE AND REQUIRED BY TITLE
 26 OF THE FEDERAL OMNIBUS BUDGET RECONCILIATION ACT OF 1981.
   2. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ESTABLISH A  STATE  PROGRAM  TO  PROVIDE  AN
 EMERGENCY  HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BENEFIT TO HOUSEHOLDS ELIGIBLE
 FOR A LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WHERE SUCH HOUSEHOLD  IS
 THREATENED WITH SHUT-OFF OR AN ENERGY EMERGENCY DUE TO NONPAYMENT.
   3.  TO  BE ELIGIBLE FOR A BENEFIT PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, THE APPLI-
 CANT SHALL DOCUMENT THAT HE OR SHE:
   (A) RECEIVES A REGULAR HEAP BENEFIT WHICH IS INSUFFICIENT OR  UNAVAIL-
 ABLE TO AMELIORATE THE EMERGENCY; AND
   (B) (I) IS CURRENTLY WITHOUT HEATING FUEL; OR
   (II) HAS A HEATING FUEL SUPPLY THAT WILL LAST LESS THAN SEVEN CALENDAR
 DAYS; OR
   (III) HAS HAD HEAT-RELATED UTILITY SERVICE DISCONNECTED; OR
   (IV)  HAS  HEAT-RELATED UTILITY SERVICE CURRENTLY ELIGIBLE FOR DISCON-
 NECTION; OR
   (V) IS EXPERIENCING AN ENERGY EMERGENCY DUE TO:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01615-01-3

 S. 4546                             2
 
   (1) HAVING HEAT-RELATED UTILITY SERVICE ARREARS MORE THAN  SIXTY  DAYS
 IN ARREARS; OR
   (2)  HAVING OUTSTANDING HEAT-RELATED UTILITY SERVICE ARREARS IN EXCESS
 OF THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS.
   4. FOR PURPOSES OF THE ANNUAL HEAP STATE  PLAN,  AND  SUBJECT  TO  THE
 AVAILABILITY  OF FEDERAL FUNDS, A SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT MAY AUTHORIZE
 ONE OR MORE HOUSEHOLD PAYMENTS PER PROGRAM YEAR IN AN AMOUNT WHICH COIN-
 CIDES WITH THE EMERGENCY  BENEFITS  MATRIX  DEVELOPED  ANNUALLY  BY  THE
 DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE FOR THE CURRENT PROGRAM YEAR.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth 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.

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Senate Bill S4546

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status Via A4956 - Vetoed by Governor

Jun 8, 2023 - Floor Vote

Floor Vote: Jun 8, 2023

Jun 8, 2023 - Rules Committee Vote

Rules Committee Vote: Jun 8, 2023

2023-S4546 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S4546 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S4546 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S4546 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S4546

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Kevin S. Parker

Current Bill Status Via A4956 - Vetoed by Governor

2023-S4546 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S4546 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S4546 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S4546 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments