NY State Senate Bill 2025-S7943

Senate Bill S7943

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Requires the office of temporary and disability assistance to make available skimming warning signs in various languages

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - On Floor Calendar

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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Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jun 04, 2025	ordered to third reading cal.1561 committee discharged and committed to rules
May 14, 2025	referred to social services

Votes

- Jun 4, 2025 - Rules Committee Vote
  S7943
  
  16
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  4
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  1
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Rules Committee Vote: Jun 4, 2025
      
      aye (16)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Bailey
      
      Comrie
      
      Fernandez
      
      Gianaris
      
      Griffo
      
      Harckham
      
      Helming
      
      Hoylman-Sigal
      
      Krueger
      
      Liu
      
      Mayer
      
      Parker
      
      Sepúlveda
      
      Stec
      
      Stewart-Cousins
      
      aye wr (4)
      
      Gallivan
      
      Lanza
      
      O'Mara
      
      Ortt
      
      excused (1)
      
      Myrie

co-Sponsors

2025-S7943 (ACTIVE) - Details

Law Section:: Social Services Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§152-d & 95-a, Soc Serv L

2025-S7943 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the office of temporary and disability assistance to make available skimming warning signs in English and in the twelve languages most commonly spoken by limited English proficient individuals in the state; requires the department of social services to make available information regarding the state food stamp outreach program in English and in the twelve languages most commonly spoken by limited English proficient individuals in the state.

2025-S7943 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7943

SPONSOR: LIU
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the social services law, in relation to requiring the
office of temporary and disability assistance to make available skimming
warning signs in various languages; and in relation to requiring the
department of social services to make certain materials available in
various languages

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To ensure that individuals with limited English proficiency are
adequately informed about food stamp programs and electronic benefit
transfer (EBT) scams by requiring the Department of Social Services and
the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to create signs and
public assistance information in the twelve most commonly spoken
languages in New York State.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends the social services law to require the office of Tempo-
rary and Disability Assistance to make informative signs regarding EBT
scams available in English and in the twelve languages most commonly
spoken by limited English proficient individuals in the state.

Section 2 amends the social services law to require the Department of
Social Services to make informative materials about the food stamp
program in English and in the twelve languages most commonly spoken by
limited English proficient individuals in the state

Section 3 provides for an effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Skimming scams targeting EBT cards have surged in recent years, often
depriving vulnerable New Yorkers of the essential benefits they rely on
for food and basic needs. Immigrant and limited English proficient
communities are particularly at risk due to language barriers that
prevent them from understanding warning notices and protective actions.

This bill builds on existing efforts to combat EBT fraud by mandating
that critical warning signs and program materials are available in the
twelve most commonly spoken languages in New York State. Making this
information linguistically accessible will increase awareness, enhance
fraud prevention, and promote equitable access to public assistance.

Ensuring that all residents - regardless of language proficiency - are
informed of the risks and protections related to EBT usage is a matter
of both consumer protection and social equity.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

This is a new bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become law.

2025-S7943 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7943
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 14, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  LIU  --  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  requiring  the
   office  of temporary and disability assistance to make available skim-
   ming warning signs in various languages; and in relation to  requiring
   the  department of social services to make certain materials available
   in various languages
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. Subdivision 6 of section 152-d of the social services law,
 as added by chapter 70 of the laws  of  2024,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   6.  The  office  of  temporary  and disability assistance shall make a
 model sign available on its website that can  be  used  by  any  person,
 firm,  partnership,  association or corporation required to inform indi-
 viduals about electronic benefit  transfer  scams,  including,  but  not
 limited to, skimming, and the steps they can take to protect their bene-
 fits  in  accordance  with section three hundred ninety-e of the general
 business law. SUCH SIGN SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH  AND  IN  THE
 TWELVE  LANGUAGES  MOST  COMMONLY  SPOKEN  BY LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT
 INDIVIDUALS IN THE STATE.
   § 2. Subdivision 7 of section 95-a of  the  social  services  law,  as
 added  by  chapter 546 of the laws  of  1978,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   7. [In accordance with applicable federal laws, rules and  regulations
 the] THE department shall make available appropriate [bilingual] materi-
 als  IN  ENGLISH  AND  IN  THE  TWELVE LANGUAGES MOST COMMONLY SPOKEN BY
 LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT INDIVIDUALS IN THE STATE so that  potentially
 eligible non English speaking individuals may be informed about the food
 stamp program.
   §  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD11997-02-5

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Senate Bill S7943

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Sponsored By

John C. Liu