S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
1846
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
January 14, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Social Services
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to providing inter-
net access and access to internet-enabled devices to recipients of
public assistance and to adults and children in shelters, domestic
violence residence programs, and other adult and children residence
facilities
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-
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04675-01-5
A. 1846 2
ing in accordance with the rules of the board and regulations of the
department.
§ 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. Section 131-a of the social services law is amended by adding two
new subdivisions 3-e and 6 to read as follows:
3-E. COMMENCING JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX, FOR PERSONS
AND FAMILIES DETERMINED TO BE ELIGIBLE BY THE APPLICATION OF THE STAND-
ARD OF NEED PRESCRIBED BY THE PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS
SECTION, SHALL RECEIVE A HOME INTERNET SERVICE GRANT EQUAL TO AN AMOUNT
WHICH SHALL BE DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT AS SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE FOR
HOME INTERNET SERVICE FOR SUCH PERSONS AND FAMILIES.
6. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAPTER OR OTHER LAW,
A SOCIAL SERVICES OFFICIAL SHALL MAKE PROVISIONS FOR THE PURCHASE OF AN
INTERNET-ENABLED DEVICE FOR THE HOME OF A PERSON IN NEED OF PUBLIC
ASSISTANCE, PROVIDED PROVISION THEREFOR CANNOT OTHERWISE BE MADE.
§ 4. Section 461-c of the social services law is amended by adding a
new subdivision 10 to read as follows:
10. ADULT CARE FACILITIES SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS TITLE
SHALL PROVIDE RESIDENTS OF SUCH FACILITIES WITH ACCESS TO INTERNET-ENA-
BLED DEVICES AND INTERNET SERVICE.
§ 5. Section 462 of the social services law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 3 to read as follows:
3. CHILD CARE FACILITIES SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS TITLE SHALL
PROVIDE RESIDENTS OF SUCH FACILITIES WITH ACCESS TO INTERNET-ENABLED
DEVICES AND INTERNET SERVICE.
§ 6. Section 459-b of the social services law, as amended by chapter 7
of the laws of 2016, is amended to read as follows:
§ 459-b. Residential services for victims of domestic violence. 1. In
accordance with section one hundred thirty-one-u of this chapter and the
regulations of the office of children and family services, a social
services district shall offer and provide necessary and available emer-
gency shelter and services for up to ninety days at a residential
program for victims of domestic violence to a victim of domestic
violence who was residing in the social services district at the time of
the alleged domestic violence whether or not such victim is eligible for
public assistance. Two forty-five day extensions of necessary and avail-
able emergency shelter may be granted beyond the maximum length of stay
at a residential program for victims of domestic violence for residents
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who continue to be in need of emergency services and temporary shelter.
If the victim of domestic violence has a service animal as such term is
defined in section one hundred twenty-three-b of the agriculture and
markets law, or therapy dog as such term is defined in section one
hundred eight of the agriculture and markets law, respectively, such
service animal or therapy dog shall be allowed to accompany the victim
at the residential program authorized pursuant to this section, so long
as such accompaniment would not create an undue burden as defined by
section two hundred ninety-six of the executive law.
2. Where such accompaniment would constitute an undue burden, the
residential program shall make reasonable efforts to facilitate place-
ment of such animal at an off-site animal care facility or if reasonable
efforts fail, provide referral to one or more off-site animal care
facilities. Such off-site animal care may include, but not be limited
to, boarding at a veterinary hospital or under the auspices of a duly
incorporated humane society, or duly incorporated animal protection
association approved for such purpose by the department of agriculture
and markets.
3. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit any rights or
obligations provided pursuant to federal or state law, including but not
limited to providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with
disabilities.
4. RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHALL PROVIDE
ACCESS TO INTERNET-ENABLED DEVICES AND INTERNET SERVICE TO RESIDENTS OF
SUCH FACILITIES.
§ 7. Subdivision 38 of section 2 of the social services law is amended
by adding a new paragraph (f) to read as follows:
(F) "INTERNET-ENABLED DEVICE" MEANS ANY HARDWARE TECHNOLOGY INCLUDING,
BUT NOT LIMITED TO, A CELLULAR TELEPHONE, COMPUTER, OR TABLET DEVICE
THAT IS CAPABLE OF PROVIDING WIRELESS OR WIRELINE INTERNET ACCESS.
§ 8. 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.