S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1729
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 20, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. GOODELL -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Social Services
 
 AN ACT to amend the social  services  law,  in  relation  to  permitting
   appeals  to  the  department  of  family assistance to be conducted by
   means of a conference telephone, video conference or similar  communi-
   cations systems with and by independent hearing officers
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 22 of the social services law,  as
 added by chapter 473 of the laws of 1978, is amended to read as follows:
   2.  In  connection  with  any appeal pursuant to this section, with or
 without a fair  hearing,  [the]  EACH  commissioner  may  designate  and
 authorize  one  or more appropriate members of his OR HER staff OR INDE-
 PENDENT FAIR HEARING OFFICERS to consider and decide such  appeals.  Any
 staff  member  OR  INDEPENDENT  FAIR  HEARING  OFFICER so designated and
 authorized shall have authority to decide such appeals on behalf of  the
 commissioner  with  the same force and effect as if the commissioner had
 made the decisions.  Fair hearings held in connection with such  appeals
 shall  be  held  on  behalf of the commissioner by members of his OR HER
 staff OR INDEPENDENT FAIR HEARING OFFICERS who  are  employed  for  such
 purposes or who have been designated and authorized by him OR HER there-
 for.    THE FAIR HEARING MAY BE CONDUCTED BY MEANS OF A CONFERENCE TELE-
 PHONE, VIDEO CONFERENCE EQUIPMENT OR  SIMILAR  COMMUNICATIONS  EQUIPMENT
 ALLOWING ALL PERSONS PARTICIPATING IN SUCH HEARING TO HEAR EACH OTHER AT
 THE  SAME  TIME.  The provisions of this subdivision shall apply to fair
 hearings conducted pursuant to subdivision eight of section four hundred
 twenty-two of this chapter, and to any hearing required pursuant to this
 chapter concerning the denial, suspension or revocation of  any  permit,
 certificate or license, and to any hearing held pursuant to section four
 hundred fifty-five of this chapter.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06071-01-3