Senate Bill S10702

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10702
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                            September 21, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. PERSAUD -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to the creation  of
   a true cost of economic security study
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. The social services law is amended by adding a new  section
 131-cc to read as follows:
   §  131-CC. TRUE COST OF ECONOMIC SECURITY STUDY. 1. STUDY ESTABLISHED.
 (A) THE TRUE COST OF ECONOMIC SECURITY (TCES) MEASURES HOW  MUCH  INCOME
 AND  OTHER RESOURCES ARE NEEDED FOR A FAMILY OF A GIVEN COMPOSITION IN A
 GIVEN GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION TO ADEQUATELY  MEET  A  COMPREHENSIVE  SET  OF
 REGULAR  HOUSEHOLD COSTS, SET ASIDE SAVINGS BOTH FOR FUTURE PLANNING AND
 FOR SHORT-TERM EMERGENCIES, AND MANAGE DEBT.
   (B) THE TCES IS A TOOL THAT CAN BE USED TO: (I) CREATE A BENCHMARK FOR
 MEASURING  THE  EFFECTIVENESS  OF  PROPOSALS,  PROGRAMS,  AND   POLICIES
 INTENDED TO INCREASE ECONOMIC SECURITY; (II) IDENTIFY WHERE EXISTING AND
 PROPOSED POLICIES MAY BE UNINTENTIONALLY INCREASING ECONOMIC INSECURITY;
 (III)  ASSIST POLICYMAKERS IN IDENTIFYING AND ADDRESSING COST AREAS THAT
 CONSUME A DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE OF NEW YORKERS' RESOURCES, CONTRIBUTING
 TO ECONOMIC INSECURITY; (IV) IDENTIFY GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS OF CONCENTRATED
 ECONOMIC INSECURITY AND TARGET INTERVENTIONS; (V)  DETERMINE  THE  WAGES
 AND  OTHER RESOURCES NECESSARY FOR NEW YORKERS TO ACHIEVE ECONOMIC SECU-
 RITY; AND (VI) ENHANCE ONLINE  "BUDGET  CALCULATOR"  TOOLS  THAT  ENABLE
 USERS  TO  STRATEGIZE  COMBINATIONS  OF  PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SUPPORTS AND
 SUBSIDIES, WITH TRAINING AND EDUCATION, AND/OR EMPLOYMENT,  TO  INCREASE
 INCOME AND ECONOMIC SECURITY.
   2.  COLLECTION  AND  ANALYSIS.  THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR SHALL CONTRACT
 WITH A THIRD PARTY, THAT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS IN SUBDIVISION  FOUR  OF
 THIS  SECTION,  FOR  THE COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA THAT RESULTS IN
 THE CALCULATION OF THE TRUE COST OF ECONOMIC SECURITY.
   3. CALCULATION OF THE TRUE COST OF ECONOMIC SECURITY MEASURE. (A)  THE
 TRUE  COST  OF  ECONOMIC  SECURITY  MEASURE  SHALL:  (I)  DETERMINE  THE
 RESOURCES REQUIRED TO REACH A BASE  LEVEL  OF  ECONOMIC  SECURITY;  (II)
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD06134-03-6
 S. 10702                            2

 ACCOUNT FOR FAMILY SIZE, COMPOSITION, AND GEOGRAPHY TO THE COUNTY LEVEL;
 (III)  UTILIZE,  TO  THE  EXTENT SUCH INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE, THE MOST
 UP-TO-DATE COSTS  OF  HOUSING,  A  REASONABLE  FOOD  BUDGET,  REGIONALLY
 SPECIFIC  TRANSPORTATION,  HEALTH  CARE,  INCLUDING PREMIUMS AND OUT-OF-
 POCKET EXPENSES, CENTER-BASED CHILD CARE, TECHNOLOGY,  TAXES,  INCLUDING
 LOCAL,  STATE AND FEDERAL TAXES, AND SERVICE OF CERTAIN TYPES OF DEBT AS
 WELL AS OTHER MISCELLANEOUS COSTS REQUIRED TO FULLY  ENGAGE  IN  TODAY'S
 ECONOMY  AND  SOCIETY;  (IV)  ACCOUNT FOR INCOME FROM LABOR EARNINGS AND
 SELF-EMPLOYMENT INCOME, GOVERNMENT SOCIAL INSURANCE PROGRAMS LIKE SOCIAL
 SECURITY, MEDICARE, MEDICAID, AND SNAP, TAX  CREDITS,  INCLUDING  LOCAL,
 STATE, AND FEDERAL TAX CREDITS, AS WELL AS EMPLOYER-PROVIDED HEALTH CARE
 CONTRIBUTIONS;  AND  (V)  INCLUDE  A  SAVINGS  TARGET  NO LESS THAN THAT
 INCLUDED IN THE MOST RECENT NATIONAL  TRUE  COST  OF  ECONOMIC  SECURITY
 MEASURE.
   (B)  IN CALCULATING THE TRUE COST OF ECONOMIC SECURITY, THE CONTRACTOR
 SHALL UTILIZE, TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE, DATA THAT IS COUNTY-LEVEL  AND
 NATIONALLY  STANDARDIZED, CALCULATED ANNUALLY, AND FROM RELIABLE GOVERN-
 MENT OR ACADEMIC/SCHOLARLY SOURCES, SUCH AS  THE  UNITED  STATES  CENSUS
 BUREAU,  UNITED  STATES  DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, OR
 ANY OTHER DATA REPORTED TO STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES USING STANDARDIZED
 METHODOLOGY.  STATE OR LOCAL DATA MAY BE UTILIZED  WHERE  SUCH  DATA  IS
 MORE  TARGETED, GRANULAR, OR COMPREHENSIVE THAN AVAILABLE FEDERAL SOURC-
 ES. DATA SHOULD BE  DISAGGREGATED  DEMOGRAPHICALLY,  GEOGRAPHICALLY,  BY
 COUNTY  AND,  WHERE  AVAILABLE, BY SUB-COUNTY AREAS, FOR EVERY REGION IN
 THE STATE.
   4. THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTOR. IN SELECTING A THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTOR,  THE
 DEPARTMENT  OF  LABOR  MAY  CONSIDER THE POTENTIAL CONTRACTOR'S YEARS OF
 EXPERIENCE; THE NUMBER OF CALCULATIONS PERFORMED FOR OTHER  STATES;  THE
 RECORD OF HAVING PRODUCED SUCH CALCULATIONS AND REPORTS WITHIN THE BUDG-
 ET  AND  TIME  CONSTRAINTS  OF  PREVIOUS CONTRACTS; THE RELEVANT SKILLS,
 EXPERIENCE, AND EDUCATION OF THE  CONTRACTOR'S  PERSONNEL;  WHETHER  THE
 CONTRACTOR IS LOCATED IN OR AFFILIATED WITH A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY; AND
 SUCH  OTHER FACTORS AS THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR DEEMS RELEVANT AND APPRO-
 PRIATE TO EVALUATE THE QUALIFICATIONS OF SUCH THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTOR.
   5. REPORT. THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT OF THE  FIND-
 INGS  REQUIRED  IN  SUBDIVISIONS  TWO  AND  THREE OF THIS SECTION TO THE
 GOVERNOR, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY AND THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE
 SENATE, NO LATER THAN ONE YEAR AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS  SECTION
 AND BIENNIALLY THEREAFTER.
   §  2. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law.