S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
8247--A
I N S E N A T E
April 27, 2020
___________
Introduced by Sens. KAMINSKY, ADDABBO, BOYLE, FELDER, GAUGHRAN,
GOUNARDES, HOYLMAN, KAPLAN, KENNEDY, LITTLE, MAY, ORTT, PARKER,
PERSAUD, SEPULVEDA, THOMAS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services -- commit-
tee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recom-
mitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to using supple-
mental nutrition assistance program benefits to purchase online
groceries and to the state supplemental nutrition assistance program
outreach program
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 1 of section 95 of the social
services law is relettered paragraph (c) and a new paragraph (b) is
added to read as follows:
(B) THE OFFICE SHALL PROMPTLY SEEK NECESSARY FEDERAL APPROVAL NEEDED
TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH ALL GROCERY RETAILERS PREPARED TO OFFER
SNAP ONLINE PURCHASING OR SUBSEQUENTLY AVAILABLE PROGRAMS IN ORDER TO
MAXIMIZE AVAILABILITY OF ONLINE FRESH FOOD PURCHASING OPTIONS THROUGHOUT
THE STATE. WITHIN ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DAYS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF
THIS PARAGRAPH, THE OFFICE SHALL DEVELOP A PLAN TO MAXIMIZE SNAP ONLINE
PURCHASING OPTIONS IN THE STATE. THE OFFICE SHALL PERIODICALLY REVIEW
AND REVISE THE PLAN. THE PLAN, AND ANY UPDATES OF SUCH PLAN, SHALL BE
SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNOR, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, AND THE TEMPO-
RARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE. THE OFFICE SHALL CONTINUE TO SEEK ALL
NECESSARY WAIVERS FROM THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD
AND NUTRITION SERVICE, TO THE EXTENT NECESSARY FOR THE OFFICE TO CARRY
OUT THE PLAN, PURSUANT TO FEDERAL LAW AND REGULATIONS.
§ 2. Subparagraph (i) of paragraph a of subdivision 7 of section 95 of
the social services law, as separately amended by chapter 41 and section
3 of part A of chapter 57 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as
follows:
(i) May be redeemed for SNAP benefits at designated redemption centers
by the recipient or by an authorized representative. When an eligible
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD16185-02-0
S. 8247--A 2
recipient under this section is issued SNAP benefits, such SNAP benefits
may be used to purchase food items from a food distributor by the recip-
ient or by an authorized representative. RECIPIENTS SHALL BE ABLE TO
USE SNAP BENEFITS TO PURCHASE GROCERIES FROM ELIGIBLE ONLINE GROCERY
RETAILERS AND TO HAVE GROCERIES DELIVERED PURSUANT TO FEDERAL LAWS AND
REGULATIONS. Any other transfer or sale of authorizations to participate
or SNAP benefits shall constitute an unauthorized use of said authori-
zations or benefits;
§ 3. Section 95-a of the social services law, as added by chapter 546
of the laws of 1978, is amended to read as follows:
§ 95-a. State [food stamp] SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
outreach program. 1. In accordance with federal requirements and to
the extent that federal matching funds are available, the department
shall develop and implement an outreach plan to inform low-income house-
holds potentially eligible to receive [food stamps] SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRI-
TION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BENEFITS of the availability and benefits of the
program, INCLUDING INFORMATION ON THE FEDERAL SNAP ONLINE PURCHASING
PILOT PROGRAM OR SUBSEQUENT PROGRAMS, and to encourage the participation
of eligible households that wish to participate.
2. In developing and implementing such a plan the department and/or
its local districts are authorized and empowered, subject to the
approval of the director of the budget and provided that federal aid is
available therefor, to enter into contractual agreements with public
and/or private organizations to develop and implement local, regional,
and statewide outreach programs.
3. Each commissioner of social services shall develop and submit to
the department on an annual basis for its approval, a local outreach
plan governing the use of local social services personnel and services
provided by federally funded and other agencies and organizations to
inform potentially eligible households of the availability and benefits
of the program and to encourage and facilitate the participation of
eligible households. The department shall provide commissioners of
social services with technical assistance as needed to carry out the
provisions of this subdivision.
4. As part of each local outreach plan, social services officials
shall take all steps necessary to maintain a supply of information leaf-
lets in public buildings, including but not limited to local unemploy-
ment insurance and employment services offices of the department of
labor, institutions and facilities under the supervision or control of
the department of health, food stores, union halls, community centers
and local agencies providing services to the elderly to help insure that
eligible persons are informed of the [food stamp] SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION
ASSISTANCE program.
5. The department shall periodically distribute to all newspapers, and
to television and radio stations throughout the state, public service
announcements describing the [food stamp] SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSIST-
ANCE program, including the toll-free telephone numbers for [food stamp]
SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM information, and shall prompt-
ly inform such media of significant changes in the program affecting
eligibility requirements and/or the amount of the [food stamp] SUPPLE-
MENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM bonus.
6. The department shall establish procedures in cooperation with the
industrial commissioner of the department of labor to ensure that infor-
mational leaflets about the [food stamp] SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSIST-
ANCE program are sent to each local employment services office for
distribution pursuant to section five hundred [and] forty of the labor
S. 8247--A 3
law. Each leaflet shall include but not be limited to: the phone number
for the New York State [food stamp] SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE
hotline, estimated maximum income eligibility levels by household size
for participation in the [food stamp] SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE
program and the availability of local social services departments to
provide additional information about the program.
7. In accordance with applicable federal laws, rules and regulations
the department shall make available appropriate bilingual materials so
that potentially eligible non English speaking individuals may be
informed about the [food stamp] SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE
program.
8. The department shall promulgate rules and regulations, and take
all other actions necessary for the effective implementation of this
section.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
