S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
5846--B
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
June 11, 2009
___________
Introduced by Sens. MONTGOMERY, SQUADRON, ADAMS, DIAZ, DILAN, ESPADA,
HASSELL-THOMPSON, HUNTLEY, KRUEGER, ONORATO, OPPENHEIMER, PARKER,
PERKINS, SAMPSON, SAVINO, SCHNEIDERMAN, STAVISKY, STEWART-COUSINS,
THOMPSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be
committed to the Committee on Rules -- committee discharged, bill
amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
tee -- recommitted to the Committee on Social Services in accordance
with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- reported favorably from said committee
and committed to the Committee on Finance -- committee discharged,
bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said
committee
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to clarifying the
definitions of vocational educational training and educational activ-
ities
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 335-a of the
social services law, as amended by section 148 of part B of chapter 436
of the laws of 1997, is amended to read as follows:
(a) Based on the assessment required by subdivision one of this
section, the social services official, in consultation with the partic-
ipant, shall develop an employability plan in writing which shall set
forth the services that will be provided by the social services official
and the activities in which the participant will take part, including
supportive services and shall set forth an employment goal for the
participant. [A local social services district may assign recipients in
households without dependent children to any activity.] TO THE EXTENT
POSSIBLE, THE EMPLOYABILITY PLAN SHALL REFLECT THE PREFERENCES OF THE
PARTICIPANT IN A MANNER THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE RESULTS OF THE
PARTICIPANT'S ASSESSMENT AND THE NEED OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT TO
MEET FEDERAL AND STATE WORK ACTIVITY PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS, AND, IF
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14231-03-0
S. 5846--B 2
SUCH PREFERENCES CANNOT BE ACCOMMODATED, THE REASONS SHALL BE SPECIFIED
IN THE EMPLOYABILITY PLAN. The employability plan also shall take into
account the participant's supportive services needs, available program
resources, local employment opportunities, and where the social services
official is considering an educational activity assignment for such
participant, the participant's liability for student loans, grants and
scholarship awards. The employability plan shall be explained to the
participant. Any change to the participant's employability plan required
by the social services official shall be discussed with the participant
and shall be documented in writing.
S 2. Paragraph (h) of subdivision 1 of section 336 of the social
services law, as amended by chapter 214 of the laws of 1998, is amended
to read as follows:
(h) vocational educational training as time limited by federal law.
For the purposes of this title, "vocational educational training" shall
include but not be limited to organized educational programs offering a
sequence of courses which are directly related to the preparation of
individuals for current or emerging occupations [requiring other than a
baccalaureate or advanced degree] INCLUDING PROGRAMS THAT REQUIRE UP TO
FOUR YEARS OF POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION. Such programs shall include
competency-based applied learning which contributes to an individual's
academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning, and problem-solving skills,
work attitudes, general employability skills, and the occupational-spe-
cific skills necessary for economic independence. Such term also
includes applied technology education;
S 3. Paragraph (i) of subdivision 1 of section 336 of the social
services law, as added by section 148 of part B of chapter 436 of the
laws of 1997, is amended to read as follows:
(i) job skills training directly related to employment. JOB SKILLS
TRAINING DIRECTLY RELATED TO EMPLOYMENT SHALL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED
TO PARTICIPATION IN UP TO FOUR YEARS OF POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION TO THE
EXTENT CONSISTENT WITH FEDERAL AND STATE REQUIREMENTS;
S 4. Subdivision 1 of section 336-a of the social services law, as
amended by section 148 of part B of chapter 436 of the laws of 1997, is
amended to read as follows:
1. Social services districts shall make available vocational educa-
tional training and educational activities INCLUDING PROGRAMS THAT
REQUIRE UP TO FOUR YEARS OF POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION. Such activities
may include but need not be limited to, high school education or educa-
tion designed to prepare a participant for a high school equivalency
certificate, basic and remedial education, AND education in English
proficiency and SHALL INCLUDE no more than a total of [two] FOUR years
of post-secondary education (or the part-time equivalent if full-time
study would constitute an undue hardship) [in]. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION MAY BE OFFERED WITH any of the following
providers which meet the performance or assessment standards established
in regulations by the commissioner for such providers: a community
college, licensed trade school, registered business school, or a two-
year OR FOUR-YEAR college; provided, however, that such post-secondary
education must be necessary to the attainment of the participant's indi-
vidual employment goal as set forth in the employability plan and such
goal must relate directly to obtaining useful employment in a recognized
occupation. WHEN MAKING ANY ASSIGNMENT TO ANY EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY
PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION, SUCH ASSIGNMENT SHALL BE PERMITTED ONLY TO
THE EXTENT THAT SUCH ASSIGNMENT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE INDIVIDUAL'S
ASSESSMENT AND EMPLOYMENT PLAN GOALS IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTIONS THREE
S. 5846--B 3
HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE AND THREE HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE-A OF THIS TITLE AND
SHALL REQUIRE THAT THE INDIVIDUAL MAINTAINS SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC
PROGRESS. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS PROVISION "SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC
PROGRESS" SHALL MEAN SATISFACTORY PROGRESS AS DEFINED IN 20 USC 1091(C).
S 5. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 1 of section 131-n of the social
services law, as amended by chapter 373 of the laws of 2003, is amended
to read as follows:
(c) an amount up to one thousand four hundred dollars in a separate
bank account established by an individual while currently in receipt of
assistance for the purpose of paying tuition at a two-year OR FOUR-YEAR
accredited post-secondary educational institution, so long as the funds
are not used for any other purpose,
S 6. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
the amendments to paragraph (c) of subdivision 1 of section 131-n of the
social services law made by section five of this act shall not affect
the expiration of such section and shall be deemed to expire therewith.