NY State Senate Bill 2025-S665

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Social Services Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 08, 2025	referred to social services

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2025-S665 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A1318
Current Committee:: Senate Social Services
Law Section:: Social Services Law
Laws Affected:: Add §95-b, Soc Serv L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S7663, A6214

2025-S665 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes a state SNAP minimum benefit program to provide a minimum amount of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits that is higher than the amount of federal SNAP benefits.

2025-S665 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S665

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the social services law, in relation to establishing a
state SNAP minimum benefit program

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

Establishes a state SNAP minimum benefit program.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends section 95-b of the social services law by adding a new
section which establishes a state SNAP minimum benefit program in which
the office shall distribute a monthly state SNAP benefit equal to the
difference between the household's federal SNAP monthly benefit and
ninety-five dollars to each eligible household in addition to federal
SNAP benefits. This section states that this amount may be increased by
the office as deemed appropriate and that federal funds shall be
utilized as the primary source for issuing monthly state SNAP benefits

if they become available for the purposes of this subdivision. It states
that the office shall apply to the food and nutrition service within the
federal department of agriculture for any necessary waivers or approvals
to implement the provisions of this section. This section also states
that the program shall be subject to the same state rules and procedures
for implementing federal SNAP to the greatest extent possible and estab-
lishes definitions for "eligible household" and "SNAP."

Section 2 sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, the Office of
Temporary and Disability Assistance began issuing emergency supplemental
benefits to households receiving less than the maximum monthly amount of
SNAP benefits, which helped many individuals and families avoid food
insecurity. These Emergency Allotment of benefits ended in March 2023,
leaving SNAP recipients struggling to cover the lost benefits to feed
themselves at a time when food prices remain extremely high due to
inflation. In a 2022 study, the Urban Institute reported that the
increase in SNAP benefits from Emergency Allotments kept 4.2 million
people out of poverty in the fourth quarter of 2021, reducing poverty by
9.6 percent and reducing child poverty by 14%.

The Urban Institute also found that Black and Latin households benefited
most significantly from these additional SNAP benefits.

The sudden elimination of Emergency Allotment SNAP benefits will,
increase food insecurity for many individuals and families due to the
high costs of food and modest 'allotment of pre-COVID SNAP benefits.
This legislation would help support households in need from hardship and
hunger by establishing a state SNAP minimum benefit program. This would
give households receiving SNAP an additional monthly state SNAP benefit
equal to the difference between the household's federal SNAP monthly
benefit and ninety-five dollars. This program would result in relief and
support the wellbeing of our state's most vulnerable families.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-2024: S.7663-A (May) / A.6214-A (Gonzalez-Rojas)

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S665 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    665
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  MAY,  ADDABBO,  BRISPORT, CLEARE, COMRIE, COONEY,
   FERNANDEZ,  GONZALEZ,  GOUNARDES,  HARCKHAM,  HINCHEY,  HOYLMAN-SIGAL,
   KAVANAGH,  MARTINS,  MURRAY,  MYRIE,  SEPULVEDA, SERRANO, WEBB -- 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, in relation to establishing a
   state SNAP minimum benefit program
 
   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
 95-b to read as follows:
   § 95-B. STATE SNAP MINIMUM BENEFIT  PROGRAM.  1.  NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY
 OTHER  PROVISION  OF  LAW TO THE CONTRARY, THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED A
 STATE SNAP MINIMUM BENEFIT PROGRAM. UNDER SUCH PROGRAM, THE OFFICE SHALL
 DISTRIBUTE TO EACH ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLD A MONTHLY STATE SNAP BENEFIT EQUAL
 TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE HOUSEHOLD'S FEDERAL SNAP  MONTHLY  BENEFIT
 AND  ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS, WHICH AMOUNT MAY BE INCREASED BY THE OFFICE AS
 DEEMED APPROPRIATE AND SUBJECT TO  AVAILABLE  STATE  APPROPRIATIONS.  IF
 FEDERAL FUNDS BECOME AVAILABLE FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SUBDIVISION, THE
 OFFICE  SHALL UTILIZE SUCH FEDERAL FUNDS AS THE PRIMARY SOURCE FOR ISSU-
 ING THE MONTHLY STATE SNAP BENEFIT BEFORE STATE FUNDS, IF NECESSARY, ARE
 EXPENDED. THE STATE SNAP BENEFIT SHALL BE PROVIDED TO AN ELIGIBLE HOUSE-
 HOLD IN ADDITION TO THE FEDERAL SNAP BENEFIT.
   2. THE PROGRAM SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE SAME STATE RULES AND PROCEDURES
 FOR IMPLEMENTING THE FEDERAL  SNAP  TO  THE  GREATEST  EXTENT  POSSIBLE,
 INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DISTRIBUTING THE STATE SNAP BENEFIT USING
 THE  PROGRAM'S  ELECTRONIC  BENEFIT  TRANSFER  SYSTEM AND REQUIRING THAT
 BENEFITS BE USED SOLELY FOR THE PURCHASE OF FOOD AS DEFINED IN 7  U.S.C.
 S.2012.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00979-01-5

 S. 665                              2
 
   3. THE OFFICE SHALL APPLY TO THE FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE WITHIN THE
 FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR ANY NECESSARY WAIVERS OR APPROVALS
 TO IMPLEMENT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.
   4. AS USED IN THIS SECTION:
   (A)  "ELIGIBLE  HOUSEHOLD"  MEANS  A  HOUSEHOLD  THAT  IS CERTIFIED TO
 RECEIVE A FEDERAL SNAP BENEFIT OF AT LEAST ONE DOLLAR PER MONTH BUT LESS
 THAN ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS PER MONTH, OR A LARGER AMOUNT AS DEEMED  APPRO-
 PRIATE  BY  THE  OFFICE  PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION  ONE OF THIS SECTION,
 SUBJECT TO AVAILABLE STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS.
   (B) "SNAP" MEANS THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM  ESTAB-
 LISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION NINETY-FIVE OF THIS TITLE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S665

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Social Services Committee

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co-Sponsors

2025-S665 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S665 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S665 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S665 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Social Services Committee

Actions

co-Sponsors

2025-S665 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S665 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S665 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S665 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments