Assembly Bill A5470

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5470
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 14, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. FORREST -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Labor
 
 AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation  to  establishing  the  rapid
   employment assistance and counseling hub program
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. The labor law is amended by adding a  new  section  541  to
 read as follows:
   § 541. RAPID EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE AND COUNSELING HUB (REACH) PROGRAM.
 1.    AS  USED IN THIS SECTION, THE TERM "MOBILE UNIT" MEANS A MOTORIZED
 VEHICLE OUTFITTED TO OPERATE AS A TRAVELING UNEMPLOYMENT SERVICE  CENTER
 TO PROVIDE IN-PERSON ASSISTANCE.
   2.  BY  JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL
 ESTABLISH A RAPID  EMPLOYMENT  ASSISTANCE  AND  COUNSELING  HUB  (REACH)
 PROGRAM.  THE  PROGRAM  SHALL DISPATCH A MOBILE UNIT TO PROVIDE INFORMA-
 TION, ASSISTANCE, AND OTHER  SERVICES  CONCERNING  UNEMPLOYMENT  COMPEN-
 SATION  INSURANCE  UPON THE REQUEST OF A STATE LEGISLATOR OR AN OFFICIAL
 OF A MUNICIPALITY OR OTHER POLITICAL  SUBDIVISION  IN  THE  LEGISLATOR'S
 LEGISLATIVE  DISTRICT OR THE OFFICIAL'S MUNICIPALITY OR POLITICAL SUBDI-
 VISION FROM NINE A.M. TO FIVE P.M. FOR ONE TO FOUR CALENDAR DAYS.
   3. A MOBILE UNIT SHALL PROVIDE RESIDENTS OF THE RESPECTIVE  LOCALITIES
 WITH  AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH AN EMPLOYEE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
 CONCERNING UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WHO CAN:
   A. ADDRESS GENERAL QUESTIONS REGARDING THE  UNEMPLOYMENT  PROGRAM  AND
 BENEFITS; AND
   B.  ASSIST  WITH SPECIFIC CLAIM QUESTIONS, ISSUES, CONCERNS, AND TROU-
 BLESHOOTING, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
   (I) ASSESSING WHETHER AN INDIVIDUAL IS LIKELY TO QUALIFY FOR UNEMPLOY-
 MENT COMPENSATION;

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07366-01-5
 A. 5470                             2
 
              

   (II) PROVIDING INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO  FILE  AN  UNEMPLOYMENT  COMPEN-
 SATION CLAIM AND ASSISTANCE IN OBTAINING AND INTERPRETING INFORMATION ON
 THE FEDERAL 1099-G TAX FORM; AND
   (III)  INFORMATION  ON  AN  INDIVIDUAL'S  EXISTING UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIM,
 INCLUDING BUT NOT  LIMITED  TO,  THE  STATUS  OF  THE  CLAIM,  POTENTIAL
 SOLUTIONS  AND  TROUBLESHOOTING  OF ANY ISSUES REGARDING AN INDIVIDUAL'S
 ELIGIBILITY OR OTHER BARRIERS TO THE INDIVIDUAL COLLECTING  UNEMPLOYMENT
 COMPENSATION BENEFITS.
   4.  ANY  RESIDENT  OF THE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT, MUNICIPALITY, OR POLI-
 TICAL SUBDIVISION, AS APPROPRIATE, MAY ACCESS THE SERVICES OF THE MOBILE
 UNIT.  THE DEPARTMENT MAY PERMIT INDIVIDUALS TO PRE-REGISTER FOR ASSIST-
 ANCE, BUT SHALL NOT REQUIRE PRE-REGISTRATION AS A CONDITION  OF  ASSIST-
 ANCE.
   5.  A  LEGISLATOR OR OTHER OFFICIAL SEEKING MOBILE UNIT SERVICES SHALL
 SUBMIT A REQUEST FOR SUCH SERVICES, IN WRITING OR EMAIL, TO THE  DEPART-
 MENT  AT LEAST TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE REQUESTED SERVICE DATE. UNLESS THE
 MOBILE UNIT HAS ALREADY BEEN SCHEDULED TO SERVICE A  DIFFERENT  LOCATION
 IN  RESPONSE  TO  A PRIOR REQUEST FROM ANOTHER LEGISLATOR OR OTHER OFFI-
 CIAL, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DISPATCH  THE  MOBILE  UNIT  TO  SERVICE  THE
 LOCATION  ON THE REQUESTED DATE. EACH LEGISLATOR OR OTHER OFFICIAL SHALL
 BE LIMITED TO TWELVE REQUESTS FOR THE MOBILE UNIT IN  A  CALENDAR  YEAR,
 EXCEPT  THAT  IF  LEGISLATORS  OR  OFFICIALS  FROM  THE SAME LEGISLATIVE
 DISTRICT OR MUNICIPALITY REQUEST THE UNIT WITHIN  THE  SAME  MONTH,  THE
 FIRST  REQUEST  IN  THAT MONTH SHALL COUNT TOWARD EACH REQUESTOR'S TOTAL
 NUMBER OF REQUESTS.
   6. NO LATER THAN JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-EIGHT, THE COMMIS-
 SIONER SHALL SUBMIT TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE  A  REPORT  THAT
 EVALUATES  THE RESULTS OF THE PROGRAM AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN ASSISTING
 RESIDENTS  WITH  UNEMPLOYMENT  BENEFIT  CLAIMS  AND  OTHER  UNEMPLOYMENT
 CONCERNS. THE REPORT SHALL INCLUDE A RECOMMENDATION REGARDING WHETHER TO
 MAKE  CHANGES  TO  THE  PROGRAM,  AND IF CHANGES ARE RECOMMENDED, IF THE
 PROGRAM SHOULD BE EXPANDED OR OTHERWISE ENHANCED.
   7. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ADOPT RULES  AND  REGULATIONS  NECESSARY  TO
 IMPLEMENT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.