BILL NUMBER: S9100

SPONSOR: PARKER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the social services law, in relation to automated iden-
tification of OTDA assistance program participants

 
PURPOSE:

For the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) to coordi-
nate with water-works companies on automated file matching to identify
eligible affordability programparticipants.

 
SUMMARY:

Section 1. Amendsparagraphs (d) and (e) of subdivision 1 and subdivision
2 of section 131-ss of the social services law, as amended by chapter 78
of the laws of 2024.

Section 2. Sets the effective date.

              

 
JUSTIFICATION:

New York's utilities offer Energy Affordability Programs (EAPs) that
follow guidance from the New York Public Service Commission which
requires utilities to set low-income program discount levels that keep
customer energy burden at or below a target goal of 6% of household
income. EAPs offer customers a monthly bill credit using a tiered
discount structure that considers whether the customer is a heating or a
non-heating customer.

Utility customers who receive Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
grants paid to the utility on the customer's behalf are automatically
enrolled in the utility corporation's Energy Affordability Programs
(EAP). However, until a bill was chaptered in 2024, not all low-income
customers receive HEAP even if they qualify to receive it.  A bill that
the legislature passed and was signed by the governor established a
file-matching process which will dramatically increase participation in
EAP programs.

Until now, outside of New York City, customers were largely responsible
for self-identifying for being eligible for the program - limiting the
number of those who benefit. An automated process is more efficient and
less costly to administer than identifying customers on a case-by-case
manner. Making file matching a statewide practice is a more efficient
utilization of state and utility resources.

This legislation would expand on this law and includeprivate water util-
ities in the file matching system so that those who are eligible but not
enrolled will benefit from water bill discount programs.

 
RACIAL JUSTICE IMPACT:

People of color and low-income New Yorkers are disproportionately
impacted by rising utility costs. Specifically, redlining and housing
discrimination has resulted in Black and Latino households paying more
in utilities than their White counterparts. Several studies have shown

that low-quality housing stock due to racial segregation is a major
driving factor of this disparity  
1.

 
GENDER JUSTICE IMPACT:

TBD.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.