Assembly Bill A4313

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4313
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 4, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. DAVILA, CUNNINGHAM -- read once and referred to
   the Committee on Social Services
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law,  in  relation  to  establishing
   rental vouchers for working families
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1.  Article 5 of the social services law is amended by  adding
 a new title 8-A to read as follows:
                                 TITLE 8-A
                   RENTAL VOUCHERS FOR WORKING FAMILIES
 SECTION 310. DEFINITIONS.
         311. APPLICATION.
         312. ELIGIBILITY.
         313. RENTAL PAYMENTS.
         314. MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT.
   § 310. DEFINITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS TITLE:
   1.  THE  TERM "FAMILY" SHALL MEAN A FAMILY THAT INCLUDES AN INDIVIDUAL
 WHO HAS NOT ATTAINED EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE, OR HAS NOT ATTAINED NINETEEN
 YEARS OF AGE AND IS A FULL-TIME STUDENT IN A SECONDARY SCHOOL OR IN  THE
 EQUIVALENT LEVEL OF VOCATIONAL OR TECHNICAL TRAINING.
   2. THE TERM "INCOME" SHALL MEAN INCOME FROM ALL SOURCES OF EACH MEMBER
 OF THE HOUSEHOLD.
   3.  THE  TERM "ADJUSTED INCOME" SHALL MEAN THE AMOUNT OF INCOME OF THE
 MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY RESIDING IN A DWELLING  UNIT,  AFTER  ANY  OF  THE
 FOLLOWING REQUIRED INCOME EXCLUSIONS FROM ANNUAL INCOME:
   (A) FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR ANY FAMILY CONTAINING AN ELDERLY OR DISA-
 BLED FAMILY MEMBER;
   (B)  THE  AMOUNT BY WHICH THREE PERCENT OF THE ANNUAL FAMILY INCOME IS
 EXCEEDED BY THE SUM OF UNREIMBURSED MEDICAL EXPENSES FOR ANY ELDERLY  OR
 DISABLED FAMILY MEMBER OR THE AMOUNT BY WHICH THREE PERCENT OF THE ANNU-
 AL  FAMILY  INCOME  IS  EXCEEDED  BY  THE SUM OF UNREIMBURSED REASONABLE

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07156-01-5
              

 A. 4313                             2
 
 ATTENDANT CARE AND AUXILIARY APPARATUS EXPENSES FOR EACH DISABLED MEMBER
 OF THE FAMILY TO THE EXTENT NECESSARY TO ENABLE ANY MEMBER OF SUCH FAMI-
 LY (INCLUDING SUCH DISABLED FAMILY MEMBER) TO BE EMPLOYED;
   (C)  ANY  REASONABLE CHILD CARE EXPENSE INCURRED NECESSARY TO ENABLE A
 FAMILY MEMBER TO BE EMPLOYED OR TO FURTHER SUCH FAMILY  MEMBER'S  EDUCA-
 TION;
   (D) FOUR HUNDRED EIGHTY DOLLARS FOR EACH MEMBER OF THE FAMILY RESIDING
 IN  THE HOUSEHOLD WHO IS LESS THAN EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR IS ATTENDING
 HIGH SCHOOL OR VOCATIONAL TRAINING ON A FULL-TIME BASIS, OR WHO IS EIGH-
 TEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AND IS A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY;
   (E) ANY PAYMENT MADE BY A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY  FOR  THE  SUPPORT  AND
 MAINTENANCE  OF  ANY  CHILD WHO DOES NOT RESIDE IN THE HOUSEHOLD, EXCEPT
 THAT THE AMOUNT EXCLUDED  UNDER  THIS  PARAGRAPH  MAY  NOT  EXCEED  FOUR
 HUNDRED EIGHTY DOLLARS FOR EACH CHILD FOR WHOM SUCH PAYMENT IS MADE;
   (F)  ANY  PAYMENTS  MADE BY A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY FOR THE SUPPORT AND
 MAINTENANCE OF ANY SPOUSE OR FORMER SPOUSE WHO DOES NOT  RESIDE  IN  THE
 HOUSEHOLD,  EXCEPT  THAT  THE AMOUNT EXCLUDED UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL
 NOT EXCEED THE LESSER OF EITHER THE AMOUNT THAT SUCH FAMILY MEMBER HAS A
 LEGAL OBLIGATION TO PAY OR FIVE HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS FOR EACH  INDIVID-
 UAL FOR WHOM SUCH PAYMENT IS MADE; AND
   (G) THE AMOUNT OF ANY EARNED INCOME OF A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY RESIDING
 IN  THE  HOUSEHOLD  WHO IS NOT EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AND WHO IS
 NOT THE HEAD OF THE HOUSEHOLD OR THE SPOUSE OF THE HEAD  OF  THE  HOUSE-
 HOLD.
   §  311. APPLICATION. APPLICATION FOR RENTAL VOUCHERS FOR WORKING FAMI-
 LIES MAY BE MADE AT THE APPROPRIATE  SOCIAL  SERVICES  DISTRICT  OR  ANY
 FACILITATED  ENROLLMENT  SITE  AUTHORIZED BY THE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND
 DISABILITY ASSISTANCE TO TAKE SUCH APPLICATIONS.
   § 312. ELIGIBILITY. 1. TO THE EXTENT THAT FUNDS ARE  AVAILABLE,  FAMI-
 LIES SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR RENTAL VOUCHERS FOR WORKING FAMILIES IF:
   (A)  THE  FAMILY  INCOME  DOES  NOT  EXCEED TWO HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE
 FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL;
   (B) THE FAMILY WOULD MEET THE MANDATORY WORK REQUIREMENTS  ESTABLISHED
 IN SECTION THREE HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE-B OF THIS ARTICLE;
   (C) THE FAMILY IS NOT IN RECEIPT OF TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE;
   (D)  THE  RENTAL  OBLIGATION  FOR  THE  FAMILY IS NOT MORE THAN NINETY
 PERCENT OF THE FAIR MARKET RENT FOR THE LOCAL SOCIAL  SERVICES  DISTRICT
 AS ESTABLISHED BY THE UNITED STATES OFFICE OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOP-
 MENT; AND
   (E)  THE  RENTAL  UNIT  FOR THE FAMILY IS HABITABLE, SAFE AND DOES NOT
 HAVE A RECORD OF HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS.
   2. SHOULD THE EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF A HOUSEHOLD MEMBER CHANGE SUCH THAT
 THE FAMILY NO LONGER MEETS THE MANDATORY WORK  REQUIREMENTS  ESTABLISHED
 IN  SECTION  THREE  HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE-B OF THIS ARTICLE, THE HOUSEHOLD
 SHALL BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO RECEIVE A RENTAL VOUCHER FOR UP TO THREE
 MONTHS WHILE THE FAMILY ATTEMPTS  TO  COME  INTO  COMPLIANCE  WITH  SUCH
 MANDATORY WORK REQUIREMENTS.  IF, AFTER THREE MONTHS, THE FAMILY REMAINS
 OUT  OF  COMPLIANCE  WITH  SUCH  MANDATORY WORK REQUIREMENTS, THE RENTAL
 VOUCHER SHALL NO LONGER BE PROVIDED TO SUCH FAMILY AND THE FAMILY  SHALL
 BE  REFERRED  TO  ALTERNATIVE  ASSISTANCE  PROGRAMS  TO MEET THEIR BASIC
 NEEDS. PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT THE LOSS OF A RENTAL VOUCHER FOR  FAILURE
 TO  COMPLY  WITH SUCH MANDATORY WORK REQUIREMENTS SHALL NOT PRECLUDE THE
 FAMILY'S ELIGIBILITY FOR A RENTAL VOUCHER SHOULD THEY MEET THE MANDATORY
 WORK REQUIREMENTS IN THE FUTURE.
   3. FAMILIES IN RECEIPT OF  A  RENTAL  VOUCHER  SHALL  BE  REQUIRED  TO
 PROVIDE  THE  LOCAL  SOCIAL  SERVICES DISTRICT WITH NOTICE OF CHANGES IN
 A. 4313                             3
 
 INCOME OR EMPLOYMENT STATUS WITHIN ONE MONTH OF  SUCH  CHANGE.  FAMILIES
 SHALL  BE  RECERTIFIED FOR THE RENTAL VOUCHER PROGRAM AT LEAST EVERY SIX
 MONTHS.  SUCH RECERTIFICATION SHALL NOT REQUIRE  A  FACE-TO-FACE  INTER-
 VIEW.
   § 313. RENTAL PAYMENTS. FAMILIES SHALL PAY AS RENT FOR A DWELLING UNIT
 ASSISTED WITH A RENTAL VOUCHER THE HIGHEST OF THE FOLLOWING AMOUNTS:
   1. THIRTY PERCENT OF THE FAMILY'S MONTHLY ADJUSTED INCOME; OR
   2. TEN PERCENT OF THE FAMILY'S MONTHLY INCOME.
   §  314.  MAINTENANCE  OF EFFORT. TO THE EXTENT ALLOWABLE UNDER FEDERAL
 LAW, STATE FUNDING FOR RENTAL VOUCHERS FOR  WORKING  FAMILIES  SHALL  BE
 UTILIZED  TO  MEET  THE FEDERALLY MANDATED MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT FOR THE
 TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES BLOCK GRANT.
   § 2. This act shall take effect April 1, 2026.