S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9343
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 13, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. PERSAUD -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation  to  requiring  the
   office  of temporary and disability assistance to make publicly avail-
   able on its website information regarding waivers,  rental  supplement
   plans and shelter supplement plans

   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
 152-e to read as follows:
   §  152-E. PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION REGARDING WAIVER REQUESTS
 AND SHELTER AND RENTAL SUPPLEMENTS. 1. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE
 FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "OFFICE" SHALL MEAN THE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSIST-
 ANCE.
   (B) "WAIVER" MEANS PERMISSION TO  DEVIATE  FROM  A  STATE  OR  FEDERAL
 PROGRAM RULE OR STATUTORY PROVISION.
   (C)  "SHELTER  SUPPLEMENT  PLAN"  MEANS  A  PLAN SUBMITTED BY A SOCIAL
 SERVICES DISTRICT FOR APPROVAL BY THE DEPARTMENT TO  PROVIDE  ADDITIONAL
 MONTHLY  SHELTER SUPPLEMENTS TO PUBLIC ASSISTANCE APPLICANTS AND RECIPI-
 ENTS AS PROVIDED IN 18 NYCRR 352.3.
   (D) "RENTAL SUPPLEMENT PROGRAM PLAN" MEANS ANY  PLAN  SUBMITTED  BY  A
 SOCIAL  SERVICES  DISTRICT  FOR APPROVAL BY THE OFFICE TO PROVIDE RENTAL
 ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS  WHO  ARE  EXPERIENCING  HOMELESSNESS  OR  ARE
 FACING IMMINENT LOSS OF HOUSING.
   2.  THE  OFFICE  SHALL  MAKE  PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION REGARDING
 WAIVERS AND RENTAL SUPPLEMENT PLANS  AND  SHELTER  SUPPLEMENT  PLANS  BY
 PROVIDING, AT A MINIMUM, THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
   (A)  WITHIN  SIXTY  DAYS  OF  THE  EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, THE
 OFFICE SHALL POST ON ITS WEBSITE A COMPENDIUM  OF  EXISTING  WAIVERS  OF
 STATE  OR  FEDERAL  PROGRAM RULES OR STATUTORY PROVISIONS, INCLUDING BUT
 NOT LIMITED TO A DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE OR  FEDERAL  PROGRAM  RULE  OR
 STATUTORY  PROVISION WAIVED, THE DATE FIRST GRANTED, THE DATE THE WAIVER
 WILL EXPIRE IF ANY, AND THE SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICTS TO WHICH THE WAIV-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14960-01-4
 S. 9343                             2
 
 ER APPLIES. THE OFFICE SHALL REVIEW EXISTING WAIVERS AT LEAST ONCE EVERY
 FIVE YEARS TO ANALYZE THE CONTINUED NEED FOR EXISTING WAIVERS AND  SHALL
 PUBLISH  THE  RESULTS  OF THE REVIEW AND MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC
 FOR COMMENT.
   (B)  WITHIN  TEN DAYS AFTER A FEDERAL AGENCY HAS PROVIDED NOTICE OF AN
 AVAILABLE FEDERAL WAIVER, THE OFFICE SHALL POST ON ITS WEBSITE THE RELE-
 VANT INFORMATION ABOUT SUCH AVAILABLE FEDERAL WAIVER INCLUDING A SUMMARY
 OF SUCH AVAILABLE WAIVER AND A  CITATION  OR  LINK  TO  THE  APPROPRIATE
 FEDERAL  AUTHORITY FOR SUCH AVAILABLE FEDERAL WAIVER. ANY WAIVER REQUEST
 SUBMITTED BY THE OFFICE TO ANY FEDERAL AGENCY  SHALL  BE  MADE  PUBLICLY
 AVAILABLE  ON THE WEBSITE OF THE OFFICE NO LATER THAN TEN DAYS AFTER THE
 REQUEST IS SUBMITTED. ANY APPROVAL OR DENIAL OF SUCH REQUESTS  SHALL  BE
 MADE AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE OF THE OFFICE NO LATER THAN TEN DAYS AFTER
 RECEIPT.
   (C)  THE  OFFICE  SHALL  PROVIDE NOTICE OF WAIVERS OF STATE OR FEDERAL
 PROGRAM RULES OR STATUTORY PROVISIONS WHICH MAY BE REQUESTED  BY  SOCIAL
 SERVICES DISTRICTS. WITHIN TEN DAYS AFTER THE OFFICE HAS PROVIDED NOTICE
 THAT A WAIVER MAY BE REQUESTED BY A SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT, THE OFFICE
 SHALL  POST ON ITS WEBSITE THE RELEVANT INFORMATION ABOUT SUCH AVAILABLE
 WAIVER INCLUDING A SUMMARY OF SUCH AVAILABLE WAIVER AND  A  CITATION  OR
 LINK  TO THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITY FOR SUCH AVAILABLE WAIVER. ANY WAIVER
 REQUEST SUBMITTED BY A SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT TO THE OFFICE  SHALL  BE
 MADE  PUBLICLY  AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE OF THE OFFICE NO LATER THAN TEN
 DAYS AFTER THE REQUEST IS SUBMITTED  TO  THE  OFFICE.  ANY  APPROVAL  OR
 DENIAL  OF  SUCH  REQUESTS SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE OF THE
 OFFICE NO LATER THAN TEN DAYS AFTER RECEIPT.
   (D) ANY SHELTER SUPPLEMENT PLAN AND ANY RENTAL SUPPLEMENT PROGRAM PLAN
 SUBMITTED TO THE OFFICE BY A SOCIAL  SERVICES  DISTRICT  SHALL  BE  MADE
 PUBLICLY  AVAILABLE  ON THE WEBSITE OF THE OFFICE NO LATER THAN TEN DAYS
 AFTER SUCH PLAN IS SUBMITTED. ANY APPROVAL OR DENIAL OF SUCH REQUESTS IN
 ADDITION TO ANY GUIDANCE ISSUED RELATED TO SUCH REQUESTS SHALL  BE  MADE
 PUBLICLY  AVAILABLE  ON THE WEBSITE OF THE OFFICE NO LATER THAN TEN DAYS
 AFTER ISSUANCE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.