NY State Senate Bill 2023-S7692

Senate Bill S7692

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Establishes a task force to examine, evaluate and determine the feasibility of establishing a state-funded version of SNAP

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Social Services Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

Please enter your contact information

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

A valid email address is required.

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to social services
Oct 10, 2023	referred to rules

co-Sponsors

View additional co-sponsors

2023-S7692 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A5933
Current Committee:: Senate Social Services
Law Section:: Social Services

2023-S7692 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes a task force to examine, evaluate and determine the feasibility of establishing a state-funded version of SNAP; requires the task force to report its findings and a policy brief to the governor and the legislature.

2023-S7692 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7692

SPONSOR: SALAZAR
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act in relation to establishing a task force to study the feasibility
of a state-funded SNAP; and providing for the repeal of such provisions
upon expiration thereof

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

Establishes a task force to examine, evaluate and determine the feasi-
bility of establishing a state-funded version of SNAP.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Establishes that a task force is created to examine, evaluate
and determine the feasibility of establishing a state-funded version of
SNAP. It will do so by having the ability to gather and assess what
quantitative data already exists on undocumented families in New York
and collect any additional data that is needed in order to understand
the scope, impact and cost of operating a statewide food for all

program. In addition, they will convene relevant stakeholders to ensure
all components of a food for all New York program are considered and
on-the-ground community voices are heard.  Individuals in this task
force will examine different program models and estimate the cost of
administration within the State, based on several components. Lastly,
the task force is required to create an implementation outreach plan to
reach qualifying families and use the findings and stakeholder input to
develop and release a policy brief which shall include policy and
programmatic recommendations for how to create, administer, and sustain
a Food for All NY program in New York.

Section 2: Establishes the membership of the task force including the
composition and appointment authority.

Section 3: Sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Undocumented immigrants are not afforded the opportunity to apply and
receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. In
fact, the United States' Department of Agriculture' Food and Nutrition
Service SNAP guide for immigrants states that "SNAP eligibility has
never been extended to undocumented non-citizens. The specific require-
ments for non-citizens who may be eligible have changed substantially
over the years and become more complicated in certain areas." This year,
the New York State Comptroller declared that "the underlying conditions
of food insecurity disproportionately impact the most vulnerable popu-
lations in New York, especially people of color, immigrants, and house-
holds with children".

We know that SNAP is one of our country's most important poverty
reduction tools, especially for children; in FY21, more than 54% of SNAP
participants in New York are families with children but many children;in
need are not eligible for SNAP due to their immigration status. Data
from the most recent American Community Survey shows that as of 2021, 1
out of every 5 foreign-born residents (21 percent) in New York receive
SNAP benefits (equivalent to 972,700 residents).  Further, the number of
foreign-born NY residents who receive SNAP benefits has increased by 19
percent since before the pandemic in 2019.

In the article, "In defense of the eligible undocumented New Yorkers
State constitutional right to public benefits," immigration attorney,
Steve Sacco, asserts that "low-income children of immigrant parents face
higher rates of food insecurity than children of native-born parents.
The undocumented person's ineligibility to receive federal public bene-
fits, such as food stamps, contributes to this reality"(Sacco, 2016). In
2022, the state of California began to provide funding in its state
budget to provide SNAP to undocumented residents of the state. It is
imperative that a task force is constructed to examine, evaluate and
determine the feasibility of establishing a state-funded version of SNAP
in order to create a program that is inclusive of undocumented immi-
grants, DACA, asylum seekers, and refugees.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2023-S7692 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7692
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             October 10, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SALAZAR -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT in relation to establishing a task force to study the feasibility
   of  a  state-funded  SNAP;  and  providing  for  the  repeal  of  such
   provisions upon expiration thereof

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. a. A task force is hereby established to examine,  evaluate
 and  determine the feasibility of establishing a state-funded version of
 SNAP. The task force shall:
   (i) gather and assess what quantitative data already exists on undocu-
 mented families in New York and collect  any  additional  data  that  is
 needed, in order to understand the scope, impact and cost of operating a
 statewide food for all program, including, but not limited to:
   (1)  the  number  of undocumented families in the state, including the
 status of such families  (i.e.  DACA,  asylum  seekers,  refugees),  the
 number  of such families that are experiencing hunger, and the number of
 such families that are currently excluded from SNAP due to  their  immi-
 gration status or other requirements from SNAP;
   (2)  the demographics of the population of undocumented individuals by
 age, income levels, unemployment levels, languages spoken, and location;
   (3) an estimate of the amount of tax revenue undocumented New  Yorkers
 contribute to the state;
   (4)  the  number  of  children in the state who live with at least one
 undocumented parent;
   (5) the annual healthcare savings as a result  of  being  enrolled  in
 SNAP; and
   (6)  the number of New Yorkers who have been lifted out of poverty due
 to SNAP;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10100-01-3
 S. 7692                             2

   (ii) convene relevant stakeholders to ensure all components of a  food
 for  all  New  York  program  are considered and on-the-ground community
 voices are heard, including, but not limited to:
   (1) local and national immigrant rights groups;
   (2) anti-hunger organizations, with an emphasis on those organizations
 that enroll people in nutrition benefit programs;
   (3) food security advocates;
   (4) groups with experience operating similar programs across the coun-
 try;
   (5)  research  experts from state universities with expertise on immi-
 gration and public health who could help with data collection;
   (6) local government entities and social services divisions;
   (7) representatives from the governor's office, the office  of  tempo-
 rary  and  disability assistance, the division of budget, the department
 of agriculture and markets, the department of health, the department  of
 labor, and the office of emergency management;
   (iii) analyze the viability of different program models;
   (iv)  estimate  the cost of administering the program in the state and
 show the projected impact on the state's economy based on SNAP return on
 investment;
   (v) create an implementation outreach plan to reach  qualifying  fami-
 lies,  including  costs,  outreach  tactics, and consideration of how to
 meet language needs, what additional data is needed, and how to  address
 any privacy or data concerns; and
   (vi)  use  the findings and stakeholder input to develop and release a
 policy brief which shall include policy and programmatic recommendations
 for how to create, administer, and sustain a Food for All NY program  in
 New York.
   b.  No  later  than one year after the effective date of this act, the
 task force shall report its findings and submit the policy brief to  the
 governor  and  the  legislature,  as  described in subdivision a of this
 section.
   § 2. a. The task force shall be comprised of:
   (i) one member appointed by the governor;
   (ii) two members appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
   (iii) two members appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
   (iv) two members appointed by the office of temporary  and  disability
 assistance;
   (v) one member from the department of state;
   (vi) one member from the department of health; and
   (vii) one member from the department of agriculture and markets.
   b.  The member appointed by the governor shall serve as chairperson of
 the task force.
   c. The members appointed from the department of state,  department  of
 health, and the department of agriculture and markets shall serve ex-of-
 ficio and shall be non-voting members.
   d.  The  members  of  the task force shall receive no compensation for
 their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
 incurred in the performance of their services.
   e. All departments,  divisions,  bureaus,  commissions,  districts  or
 agencies  of  the  state or any political subdivisions thereof shall, at
 the request of the chairperson, provide the task force with such facili-
 ties, assistance and data as will enable the task force to carry out its
 powers and duties.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.