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Assembly Bill A8938B

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Requires that two electronic benefit transfer credit or debit cards be available to certain households receiving special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children (WIC) benefits

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Bill Amendments

2025-A8938 - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S8584
Current Committee:
Assembly Social Services
Law Section:
Public Health Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §2507, Pub Health L

2025-A8938 - Summary

Requires that any electronic benefit transfer services for special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children (WIC) benefits shall ensure that two electronic benefit transfer credit or debit cards are issued for use by any recipient household where such additional household member is either a parent, guardian or caretaker of the covered infant or a spouse, domestic partner or parent of the covered mother.

2025-A8938 - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8938
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               July 16, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. EACHUS -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Social Services
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the social services law, in relation to requiring that
   two electronic benefit transfer credit or debit  cards  be  issued  to
   certain  households  receiving  special supplemental nutrition program
   for women, infants and children (WIC) benefits
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Paragraph  (b)  of  subdivision  1 of section 21-a of the
 social services law, as added by chapter 376 of the  laws  of  2022,  is
 amended to read as follows:
   (b)  Any  electronic benefit transfer services for supplemental nutri-
 tion assistance program (SNAP)  benefits  OR  FOR  SPECIAL  SUPPLEMENTAL
 NUTRITION  PROGRAM  FOR WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN (WIC) BENEFITS shall
 ensure that two electronic benefit transfer credit or  debit  cards  are
 issued for use by any recipient household having more than one parent or
 guardian  residing  in the household on a full-time basis, provided that
 at least two parents or guardians residing in the household, or a combi-
 nation thereof, qualify for benefits pursuant to this chapter.  No  card
 shall  be  issued  to  any  person under the age of eighteen unless such
 person is a parent or guardian of a  minor  child.  The  issuance  of  a
 second card shall be consistent with federal requirements and is subject
 to the request and approval by the head of household and shall not enti-
 tle  the recipients to any additional benefits. Benefit recipients shall
 not be required to accept or utilize both cards.  The  department  shall
 notify  existing  and  future  benefit recipients of the availability of
 multiple cards.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition,  amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
 tation  of  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
 completed on or before such effective date.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

2025-A8938A - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S8584
Current Committee:
Assembly Social Services
Law Section:
Public Health Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §2507, Pub Health L

2025-A8938A - Summary

Requires that any electronic benefit transfer services for special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children (WIC) benefits shall ensure that two electronic benefit transfer credit or debit cards are issued for use by any recipient household where such additional household member is either a parent, guardian or caretaker of the covered infant or a spouse, domestic partner or parent of the covered mother.

2025-A8938A - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8938--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               July 16, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. EACHUS -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on  Social  Services  --  committee  discharged, bill amended, ordered
   reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring that two
   electronic benefit transfer credit or debit cards be issued to certain
   households receiving special supplemental nutrition program for women,
   infants and children (WIC) benefits
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  section heading of section 2507 of the public health
 law, as amended by chapter 12 of the laws of 2017, is amended and a  new
 subdivision 3 is added to read as follows:
   Special  supplemental  nutrition  program for women, infants and chil-
 dren[; specialty formula].
   3. ANY ELECTRONIC BENEFIT TRANSFER SERVICES  FOR  WIC  BENEFITS  SHALL
 ENSURE  THAT  TWO  ELECTRONIC BENEFIT TRANSFER CREDIT OR DEBIT CARDS ARE
 ISSUED FOR USE BY ANY RECIPIENT HOUSEHOLD HAVING MORE THAN ONE PARENT OR
 GUARDIAN RESIDING IN THE HOUSEHOLD ON A FULL-TIME BASIS,  PROVIDED  THAT
 AT LEAST TWO PARENTS OR GUARDIANS RESIDING IN THE HOUSEHOLD, OR A COMBI-
 NATION  THEREOF,  QUALIFY FOR BENEFITS PURSUANT TO THIS CHAPTER. NO CARD
 SHALL BE ISSUED TO ANY PERSON UNDER THE  AGE  OF  EIGHTEEN  UNLESS  SUCH
 PERSON  IS  A  PARENT  OR  GUARDIAN  OF A MINOR CHILD. THE ISSUANCE OF A
 SECOND CARD SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS AND IS SUBJECT
 TO THE REQUEST AND APPROVAL BY THE HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD AND SHALL NOT ENTI-
 TLE THE RECIPIENTS TO ANY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS. BENEFIT RECIPIENTS  SHALL
 NOT  BE  REQUIRED  TO ACCEPT OR UTILIZE BOTH CARDS. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL
 NOTIFY EXISTING AND FUTURE BENEFIT RECIPIENTS  OF  THE  AVAILABILITY  OF
 MULTIPLE CARDS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it  shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be  made  and
 completed on or before such effective date.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

2025-A8938B (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S8584
Current Committee:
Assembly Social Services
Law Section:
Public Health Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §2507, Pub Health L

2025-A8938B (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires that any electronic benefit transfer services for special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children (WIC) benefits shall ensure that two electronic benefit transfer credit or debit cards are issued for use by any recipient household where such additional household member is either a parent, guardian or caretaker of the covered infant or a spouse, domestic partner or parent of the covered mother.

2025-A8938B (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8938--B
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               July 16, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. EACHUS -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on  Social  Services  --  committee  discharged, bill amended, ordered
   reprinted as amended  and  recommitted  to  said  committee  --  again
   reported  from  said  committee  with amendments, ordered reprinted as
   amended and recommitted to said committee

 AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring that two
   electronic benefit transfer credit or debit cards be issued to certain
   households receiving special supplemental nutrition program for women,
   infants and children (WIC) benefits
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  section heading of section 2507 of the public health
 law, as amended by chapter 12 of the laws of 2017, is amended and a  new
 subdivision 3 is added to read as follows:
   Special  supplemental  nutrition  program for women, infants and chil-
 dren[; specialty formula].
   3. ANY ELECTRONIC BENEFIT TRANSFER SERVICES  FOR  WIC  BENEFITS  SHALL
 ENSURE  THAT  TWO  ELECTRONIC BENEFIT TRANSFER CREDIT OR DEBIT CARDS ARE
 ISSUED FOR USE BY ANY RECIPIENT HOUSEHOLD WHERE SUCH  ADDITIONAL  HOUSE-
 HOLD  MEMBER  IS  EITHER  A PARENT, GUARDIAN OR CARETAKER OF THE COVERED
 INFANT OR A SPOUSE, DOMESTIC PARTNER OR PARENT OF  THE  COVERED  MOTHER.
 NO  CARD  SHALL BE ISSUED TO ANY PERSON UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN UNLESS
 SUCH PERSON IS A PARENT OR GUARDIAN OF A MINOR CHILD.
   (A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR  ANY  ADDITIONAL  EXPENSES
 ASSOCIATED  WITH THE PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL ELECTRONIC BENEFIT TRANSFER
 CARDS.
   (B) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL NOT REDUCE THE AVAILABILITY OR THE  LEVEL  OF
 BENEFITS  PROVIDED TO NEW OR EXISTING COVERED MOTHERS, INFANTS AND CHIL-
 DREN IN ASSOCIATION WITH PROVIDING ADDITIONAL ELECTRONIC BENEFIT  TRANS-
 FER CARDS.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13427-04-5
 A. 8938--B                          2

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