S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  9372--A
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               March 6, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  MAGNARELLI  -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Social Services -- committee  discharged,  bill  amended,
   ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the social services law, in relation to the payment of
   shelter and rent arrears
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. The social services law is amended by adding a new section
 131-ww to read as follows:
   § 131-WW. SHELTER ARREARS. 1.  APPLICANTS  MAY  RECEIVE  AN  EMERGENCY
 GRANT  TO  PAY  FOR  RENT, PROPERTY TAXES OR MORTGAGE ARREARS ONCE EVERY
 YEAR UNLESS THE DISTRICT DETERMINES AT ITS  DISCRETION  THAT  ADDITIONAL
 SHELTER  ARREARS  PAYMENTS ARE NECESSARY BASED ON THE INDIVIDUAL CIRCUM-
 STANCES.
   2. IN AN APPLICATION FOR AN  ALLOWANCE  TO  PAY  SHELTER  ARREARS,  AN
 APPLICANT SHALL NOT BE REQUIRED TO DEMONSTRATE AN ABILITY TO REPAY SHEL-
 TER  EXPENSES, RENT, PROPERTY TAXES, OR MORTGAGE PAYMENTS GOING FORWARD,
 NOR SHALL A DISTRICT CONSIDER AN APPLICANT'S ABILITY  TO  MAKE  PAYMENTS
 UNDER ANY REPAYMENT AGREEMENT.
   3.  UNREPAID  SHELTER EXPENSES SHALL HAVE NO BEARING ON AN APPLICANT'S
 ELIGIBILITY TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL LOANS.
   4. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROMULGATE REGULATIONS CONSISTENT WITH  THIS
 SECTION.
   §  2. Section 131-w of the social services law, as added by chapter 41
 of the laws of 1992, is amended to read as follows:
   § 131-w. Limitations in the payment of rent arrears.  Districts  shall
 not  provide  assistance to pay rent arrears, property taxes or mortgage
 arrears for persons not eligible for home relief, aid to dependent chil-
 dren, emergency assistance to needy families with children or  emergency
 assistance  for  aged, blind and disabled persons, except to persons who
 are without income or resources immediately available to meet the  emer-
 gency  need[,]  AND  whose  gross  household income does not exceed [one
 hundred twenty-five] TWO HUNDRED percent of the federal income  official
 poverty  line  [and who sign a repayment agreement agreeing to repay the

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

                                                            LBD14611-05-4
 A. 9372--A                          2

 assistance in a period not to exceed twelve months.  The districts shall
 enforce the repayment agreements by any  legal  method  available  to  a
 creditor,  in  addition  to any rights it has pursuant to this chapter].
 The  department  shall  promulgate regulations to implement this section
 which shall, among other things, [establish standards for  the  contents
 of  repayment agreements and] establish standards to ensure that assist-
 ance is provided only in emergency circumstances.
   § 3. Subdivision 1 of section 131-r of the  social  services  law,  as
 added by chapter 81 of the laws of 1995 and as designated by chapter 340
 of the laws of 2003, is amended to read as follows:
   1.  Any  person  who is receiving or has received, within the previous
 [ten] FIVE years, public assistance pursuant to the provisions  of  this
 article,  and  who wins a lottery prize of [six hundred] TWENTY THOUSAND
 dollars or more shall reimburse the department from  the  winnings,  for
 all  such  public  assistance  benefits  paid  to such person during the
 previous [ten] FIVE years; provided, however, that such crediting to the
 department shall in no event exceed fifty percent of the amount  of  the
 lottery  prize.  The commissioner shall enter into an agreement with the
 director of the lottery, pursuant to section sixteen hundred  thirteen-b
 of  the  tax  law,  for  the  crediting of lottery prizes against public
 assistance benefits. Nothing herein shall limit the ability of a  social
 services  district  to  make  recoveries  pursuant  to section [104] ONE
 HUNDRED FOUR or section [106-b] ONE HUNDRED SIX-B of this chapter.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.