Senate Bill S1954

                                BILL NUMBER:S1954

TITLE OF BILL:

An act
to repeal subdivision 10 of section 131-a of the social services
law relating to the earned income cap of the standard of need for public
assistance applicants

PURPOSE:

To repeal the one hundred eighty-five percent standard of need for
public assistance applicants to better enable the economic
progression of families in poverty.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 repeals subdivision 10 of section 131-a, the one hundred
eighty-five (185) percent standard of need, of the social services law.

Section 2 provides for an effective date on the ninetieth day after
the act shall have become law and applicable to the determination of
aid calculations prospectively.

JUSTIFICATION:

              

The basic public assistance grant has not been increased since 1990.
The inability of families to provide for basic needs has resulted in
rising numbers of homelessness and increasing demands on food
pantries, soup kitchens and other emergency nutrition providers.
There is a clear need for the state to fulfill its constitutional
obligation to the most needy of our society.
currently recipients are ineligible for cash public assistance when
their total monthly income exceeds the lower of the poverty level or
185% of the standard of need. The 2008 Federal poverty guideline for
a family of four is $21,200. Sadly enough New York State's public
assistance grant levels are below the poverty level.
New York must change its eligibility rules in order to have a more
realistic approach toward assisting P A recipients in achieving
self-sufficiency. Repealing the 185% rule would allow PA recipients
to at least work their way up to poverty before losing PA eligibility.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Undetermined.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become law.