S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4184
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 1, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  HEVESI,  GLICK, RIVERA, O'DONNELL, JAFFEE --
   Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. CAHILL, COLTON, PERRY, L. ROSENTHAL  --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Social Services
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the social services law, in relation to establishing
   rental vouchers for working families

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Article 5 of the social services law is amended by adding
 a new title 8-A to read as follows:
                                 TITLE 8-A
                   RENTAL VOUCHERS FOR WORKING FAMILIES
 SECTION 310. DEFINITIONS.
         311. APPLICATION.
         312. ELIGIBILITY.
         313. RENTAL PAYMENTS.
         314. MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT.
   § 310. DEFINITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS TITLE:
   1. THE TERM "FAMILY" SHALL MEAN A FAMILY THAT INCLUDES  AN  INDIVIDUAL
 WHO HAS NOT ATTAINED EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE, OR HAS NOT ATTAINED NINETEEN
 YEARS  OF AGE AND IS A FULL-TIME STUDENT IN A SECONDARY SCHOOL OR IN THE
 EQUIVALENT LEVEL OF VOCATIONAL OR TECHNICAL TRAINING.
   2. THE TERM "INCOME" SHALL MEAN INCOME FROM ALL SOURCES OF EACH MEMBER
 OF THE HOUSEHOLD.
   3. THE TERM "ADJUSTED INCOME" SHALL MEAN THE AMOUNT OF INCOME  OF  THE
 MEMBERS  OF  THE  FAMILY  RESIDING  IN A DWELLING UNIT, AFTER ANY OF THE
 FOLLOWING REQUIRED INCOME EXCLUSIONS FROM ANNUAL INCOME:
   (A) FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR ANY FAMILY CONTAINING AN ELDERLY OR DISA-
 BLED FAMILY MEMBER;
   (B) THE AMOUNT BY WHICH THREE PERCENT OF THE ANNUAL FAMILY  INCOME  IS
 EXCEEDED  BY THE SUM OF UNREIMBURSED MEDICAL EXPENSES FOR ANY ELDERLY OR
 DISABLED FAMILY MEMBER OR THE AMOUNT BY WHICH THREE PERCENT OF THE ANNU-

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD01061-01-9

 A. 4184                             2
 
 AL FAMILY INCOME IS EXCEEDED  BY  THE  SUM  OF  UNREIMBURSED  REASONABLE
 ATTENDANT CARE AND AUXILIARY APPARATUS EXPENSES FOR EACH DISABLED MEMBER
 OF THE FAMILY TO THE EXTENT NECESSARY TO ENABLE ANY MEMBER OF SUCH FAMI-
 LY (INCLUDING SUCH DISABLED FAMILY MEMBER) TO BE EMPLOYED;
   (C)  ANY  REASONABLE CHILD CARE EXPENSE INCURRED NECESSARY TO ENABLE A
 FAMILY MEMBER TO BE EMPLOYED OR TO FURTHER HIS OR HER EDUCATION;
   (D) FOUR HUNDRED EIGHTY DOLLARS FOR EACH MEMBER OF THE FAMILY RESIDING
 IN THE HOUSEHOLD WHO IS LESS THAN EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR IS  ATTENDING
 HIGH SCHOOL OR VOCATIONAL TRAINING ON A FULL-TIME BASIS, OR WHO IS EIGH-
 TEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AND IS A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY;
   (E)  ANY  PAYMENT  MADE  BY A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY FOR THE SUPPORT AND
 MAINTENANCE OF ANY CHILD WHO DOES NOT RESIDE IN  THE  HOUSEHOLD,  EXCEPT
 THAT  THE  AMOUNT  EXCLUDED  UNDER  THIS  PARAGRAPH  MAY NOT EXCEED FOUR
 HUNDRED EIGHTY DOLLARS FOR EACH CHILD FOR WHOM SUCH PAYMENT IS MADE;
   (F) ANY PAYMENTS MADE BY A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY FOR  THE  SUPPORT  AND
 MAINTENANCE  OF  ANY  SPOUSE OR FORMER SPOUSE WHO DOES NOT RESIDE IN THE
 HOUSEHOLD, EXCEPT THAT THE AMOUNT EXCLUDED UNDER  THIS  PARAGRAPH  SHALL
 NOT EXCEED THE LESSER OF EITHER THE AMOUNT THAT SUCH FAMILY MEMBER HAS A
 LEGAL  OBLIGATION TO PAY OR FIVE HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS FOR EACH INDIVID-
 UAL FOR WHOM SUCH PAYMENT IS MADE; AND
   (G) THE AMOUNT OF ANY EARNED INCOME OF A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY RESIDING
 IN THE HOUSEHOLD WHO IS NOT EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER  AND  WHO  IS
 NOT  THE  HEAD  OF THE HOUSEHOLD OR THE SPOUSE OF THE HEAD OF THE HOUSE-
 HOLD.
   § 311. APPLICATION. APPLICATION FOR RENTAL VOUCHERS FOR WORKING  FAMI-
 LIES  MAY  BE  MADE  AT  THE APPROPRIATE SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT OR ANY
 FACILITATED ENROLLMENT SITE AUTHORIZED BY THE OFFICE  OF  TEMPORARY  AND
 DISABILITY ASSISTANCE TO TAKE SUCH APPLICATIONS.
   §  312.  ELIGIBILITY. 1. TO THE EXTENT THAT FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE, FAMI-
 LIES SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR RENTAL VOUCHERS FOR WORKING FAMILIES IF:
   (A) THE FAMILY INCOME DOES NOT  EXCEED  TWO  HUNDRED  PERCENT  OF  THE
 FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL;
   (B)  THE FAMILY WOULD MEET THE MANDATORY WORK REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED
 IN SECTION THREE HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE-B OF THIS ARTICLE;
   (C) THE FAMILY IS NOT IN RECEIPT OF TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE;
   (D) THE RENTAL OBLIGATION FOR THE  FAMILY  IS  NOT  MORE  THAN  NINETY
 PERCENT  OF  THE FAIR MARKET RENT FOR THE LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT
 AS ESTABLISHED BY THE UNITED STATES OFFICE OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOP-
 MENT; AND
   (E) THE RENTAL UNIT FOR THE FAMILY IS HABITABLE,  SAFE  AND  DOES  NOT
 HAVE A RECORD OF HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS.
   2. SHOULD THE EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF A HOUSEHOLD MEMBER CHANGE SUCH THAT
 THE  FAMILY  NO LONGER MEETS THE MANDATORY WORK REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED
 IN SECTION THREE HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE-B OF THIS  ARTICLE,  THE  HOUSEHOLD
 SHALL BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO RECEIVE A RENTAL VOUCHER FOR UP TO THREE
 MONTHS  WHILE  THE  FAMILY  ATTEMPTS  TO  COME INTO COMPLIANCE WITH SUCH
 MANDATORY WORK REQUIREMENTS.  IF, AFTER THREE MONTHS, THE FAMILY REMAINS
 OUT OF COMPLIANCE WITH SUCH  MANDATORY  WORK  REQUIREMENTS,  THE  RENTAL
 VOUCHER  SHALL NO LONGER BE PROVIDED TO SUCH FAMILY AND THE FAMILY SHALL
 BE REFERRED TO ALTERNATIVE  ASSISTANCE  PROGRAMS  TO  MEET  THEIR  BASIC
 NEEDS.  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT THE LOSS OF A RENTAL VOUCHER FOR FAILURE
 TO COMPLY WITH SUCH MANDATORY WORK REQUIREMENTS SHALL NOT  PRECLUDE  THE
 FAMILY'S ELIGIBILITY FOR A RENTAL VOUCHER SHOULD THEY MEET THE MANDATORY
 WORK REQUIREMENTS IN THE FUTURE.
   3.  FAMILIES  IN  RECEIPT  OF  A  RENTAL  VOUCHER SHALL BE REQUIRED TO
 PROVIDE THE LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT WITH  NOTICE  OF  CHANGES  IN

 A. 4184                             3
 
 INCOME  OR  EMPLOYMENT  STATUS WITHIN ONE MONTH OF SUCH CHANGE. FAMILIES
 SHALL BE RECERTIFIED FOR THE RENTAL VOUCHER PROGRAM AT LEAST  EVERY  SIX
 MONTHS.    SUCH  RECERTIFICATION SHALL NOT REQUIRE A FACE-TO-FACE INTER-
 VIEW.
   § 313. RENTAL PAYMENTS. FAMILIES SHALL PAY AS RENT FOR A DWELLING UNIT
 ASSISTED WITH A RENTAL VOUCHER THE HIGHEST OF THE FOLLOWING AMOUNTS:
   1. THIRTY PERCENT OF THE FAMILY'S MONTHLY ADJUSTED INCOME; OR
   2. TEN PERCENT OF THE FAMILY'S MONTHLY INCOME.
   §  314.  MAINTENANCE  OF EFFORT. TO THE EXTENT ALLOWABLE UNDER FEDERAL
 LAW, STATE FUNDING FOR RENTAL VOUCHERS FOR  WORKING  FAMILIES  SHALL  BE
 UTILIZED  TO  MEET  THE FEDERALLY MANDATED MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT FOR THE
 TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES BLOCK GRANT.
   § 2. This act shall take effect April 1, 2020.