Assembly Bill A6976

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6976
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 18, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. RAGA -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
 
 AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to extending the
   metropolitan transportation authority's  half  fare  rate  program  to
   persons  receiving benefits from the supplemental nutrition assistance
   program

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  This  act shall be known and may be cited as the "reduced
 fares for SNAP enrollees act".
   § 2. Legislative  findings  and  intent.  The  Supplemental  Nutrition
 Assistance  Program  (SNAP)  is  an  essential  government  program that
 provides  low-income  individuals  and  families  financial  support  to
 purchase  groceries.  This  nutrition  assistance  is imperative for the
 health and well-being of the over one million  New  York  recipients  of
 SNAP.  Those  who  receive  SNAP are arguably one of the most vulnerable
 groups in the state, with a majority of their money being  allocated  to
 necessary  household  expenses.  Importantly,  SNAP  recipients  operate
 between tight fiscal margins: a nationwide Brookings  study  found  that
 33%  of  SNAP recipients with incomes less than $25,000 a year would not
 be able to pay for an unexpected $400 expense.   SNAP  recipients  often
 live  paycheck to paycheck, thus their reception of the 50% reduced fare
 will allow them to save money and help alleviate their public  transpor-
 tation  costs. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) currently
 offers Reduced Fares- which offers  up  to  a  50%  discount  on  buses,
 subways  and  the LIRR- for those who are 65 or older or have qualifying
 disabilities.  In New York City, low income individuals between the ages
 of 18 - 64 are able to receive a 50% discount on MTA  fare  through  the
 Fair Fares program.
   This  act  targets  low-income families that do not qualify either for
 the MTA reduced fare or Fair Fare programs income guidelines,  but  will

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10376-01-5
              

 A. 6976                             2
 
 add  them using SNAP income guidelines. Currently, the SNAP benefits are
 extended to those at 145 percent of the federal poverty line (FPL) while
 Fair Fares benefits extended to those at 120 of the FPL. This means that
 an  individual household at 145 percent of the FPL would miss qualifying
 for Fair Fare benefits by making a paltry six-thousand more dollars.  In
 other words, with SNAP income guidelines being slightly higher than Fair
 Fare's  guidelines, there could be households that do receive SNAP bene-
 fits, based solely on income and  number  of  family  members  in  their
 household,  but  are ineligible for MTA reduced fares due to restrictive
 Fair Fare income guidelines. Therefore, by implementing the new expanded
 reduced fare program that takes into  account  SNAP  income  guidelines,
 this adjustment would allow people who work and receive SNAP benefits to
 receive the reduced fare 50% benefit that live within the MTA region and
 would  benefit  and  provide  a transportation equity solution to assist
 with their costs of transportation.
   § 3. Subdivision 16 of section 1266 of the public authorities law,  as
 amended  by  chapter  25  of  the  laws  of  2000, is amended to read as
 follows:
   16. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the authority and  any
 of its subsidiary corporations shall establish and implement a half fare
 rate program for:
   (A) PERSONS ENROLLED IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM;
 AND
   (B)  persons  with  serious mental illness who are eligible to receive
 supplemental security income  benefits  as  defined  pursuant  to  title
 sixteen  of the federal social security act and section two hundred nine
 of the social services law.
   § 4. 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.