S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
5059
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
February 18, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. CLEARE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services
AN ACT to amend the social services law and the correction law, in
relation to assistance programs for individuals being released from
correctional facilities
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Subdivision 4 of section 158 of the social services law, as
amended by section 1 of part U of chapter 56 of the laws of 2022, is
amended to read as follows:
4. (A) Social services officials shall determine eligibility for safe-
ty net assistance within thirty days of receiving an application for
safety net assistance. Such officials shall notify applicants of safety
net assistance about the availability of assistance to meet emergency
circumstances or to prevent eviction.
(B) WITHIN SEVENTY-TWO HOURS FROM WHEN THE STATE BOARD OF PAROLE
APPROVES THE RESIDENCE OF A PERSON THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
AND COMMUNITY SUPERVISION IS SET TO RELEASE, THE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY'S
BENEFITS NAVIGATOR SHALL COMPLETE SUCH PERSON'S APPLICATION FOR SAFETY
NET ASSISTANCE. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS PARAGRAPH, THE TERM "CORREC-
TIONAL FACILITY" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS DEFINED BY SECTION TWO
OF THE CORRECTION LAW.
§ 2. Subdivision 2 of section 112 of the correction law, as amended by
chapter 322 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
2. The commissioner shall have the management and control of persons
released on community supervision and of all matters relating to such
persons' effective reentry into the community, as well as all contracts
and fiscal concerns thereof. The commissioner shall have the power and
it shall be [his or her] THE COMMISSIONER'S duty to inquire into all
matters connected with said community supervision. The commissioner
shall make such rules and regulations, not in conflict with the statutes
of this state, for the governance of the officers and other employees of
the department assigned to said community supervision, and in regard to
the duties to be performed by them, as [he or she] THE COMMISSIONER
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05057-01-5
S. 5059 2
deems proper and shall cause such rules and regulations to be furnished
to each employee assigned to perform community supervision. The commis-
sioner shall also prescribe a system of accounts and records to be kept,
which shall be uniform. The commissioner shall also make rules and regu-
lations for a record of photographs and other means of identifying each
incarcerated individual released to community supervision. The commis-
sioner shall appoint officers and other employees of the department who
are assigned to perform community supervision. WHERE APPLICABLE, A
CORRECTIONAL FACILITY SHALL PROVIDE EACH PERSON WITH APPLICATIONS FOR
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP)
UNDER SECTION NINETY-FIVE OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES LAW, SPECIAL SUPPLE-
MENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN, INFANTS, AND CHILDREN (WIC) UNDER 42
USC § 1786, AND THE HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (HEAP) AS ADMINIS-
TERED BY THE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE, IN ACCORD-
ANCE WITH SECTION ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-EIGHT OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES LAW, 42
USC § 1383 AND SECTION TWO HUNDRED NINE OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES LAW.
BENEFITS NAVIGATORS SHALL PROVIDE ASSISTANCE IN COMPLETING SUCH APPLICA-
TIONS. EACH CORRECTIONAL FACILITY SHALL ENSURE EVERY INCARCERATED INDI-
VIDUAL WHOSE RESIDENCE HAS BEEN APPROVED HAS AN INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNED TO
THEM IN APPLYING FOR SAFETY NET PROGRAMS IN ACCORDANCE WITH PARAGRAPH
(B) OF SUBDIVISION FOUR OF SECTION ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-EIGHT OF THE SOCIAL
SERVICES LAW. THE DEPARTMENT MAY CONTRACT WITH NOT-FOR-PROFIT PROVIDERS
WITH EXPERIENCE ASSISTING INDIVIDUALS WITH BENEFITS APPLICATIONS.
§ 3. The correction law is amended by adding a new section 500-q to
read as follows:
§ 500-Q. RE-ENTRY SERVICES. EACH INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL SHALL BE
ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR RE-ENTRY SERVICES, WHICH SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO SAFETY NET ASSISTANCE, SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME AND STATE
SUPPLEMENTAL PAYMENTS PRIOR TO THEIR EARLIEST EXPECTED RELEASE DATE IN
ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-EIGHT OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES
LAW, 42 USC § 1383 AND SECTION TWO HUNDRED NINE OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES
LAW, RESPECTIVELY. THE OFFENDER REHABILITATION COORDINATOR OR OTHER
PERSON IN CHARGE OF RE-ENTRY SERVICES AT A LOCAL CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
SHALL PROVIDE ASSISTANCE IN COMPLETING AND FILING SUCH APPLICATIONS AND
MAY CONTRACT WITH NOT-FOR-PROFIT PROVIDERS WITH EXPERIENCE ASSISTING
INDIVIDUALS DURING THE APPLICATION AND APPEALS PROCESSES FOR SUCH BENE-
FITS TO PROVIDE INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS WITH ASSISTANCE IN COMPLETING
APPLICATIONS FOR SUCH BENEFITS. EACH CORRECTIONAL FACILITY SHALL BE
REQUIRED TO REPORT TO THE EXECUTIVE, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE
SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY ON HOW THEY ARE PROVIDING SUCH
RE-ENTRY SERVICES. SUCH REPORTING SHALL INCLUDE METRICS ON THE FOLLOW-
ING:
(A) HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE DEEMED ELIGIBLE FOR AT LEAST ONE TYPE OF
BENEFIT, DISAGGREGATED BY TYPE OF BENEFIT;
(B) FOR HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED, DISAGGREGATED BY
TYPE OF BENEFIT;
(C) FOR ANY PEOPLE DEEMED ELIGIBLE BUT FOR WHOM APPLICATIONS WERE NOT
SUBMITTED, DISAGGREGATED BY DEMOGRAPHIC; AND
(D) THE REASON THAT SUCH APPLICATIONS WERE NOT FILED, DISAGGREGATED BY
TYPE OF BENEFIT AND BY REASON.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
ing the date upon which it shall have become a law. Effective immediate-
ly, 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.
