S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3935
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 30, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. HEVESI -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Correction
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  social  services law and the correction law, in
   relation to assistance programs for individuals  being  released  from
   correctional facilities
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 4 of section 158 of the social services law, as
 amended by section 1 of part U of chapter 56 of the  laws  of  2022,  is
 amended to read as follows:
   4. (A) Social services officials shall determine eligibility for safe-
 ty  net  assistance  within  thirty days of receiving an application for
 safety net assistance. Such officials shall notify applicants of  safety
 net  assistance  about  the availability of assistance to meet emergency
 circumstances or to prevent eviction.
   (B) WITHIN SEVENTY-TWO HOURS FROM  WHEN  THE  STATE  BOARD  OF  PAROLE
 APPROVES  THE  RESIDENCE  OF A PERSON THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
 AND COMMUNITY SUPERVISION IS SET TO RELEASE, THE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY'S
 BENEFITS NAVIGATOR SHALL COMPLETE SUCH PERSON'S APPLICATION  FOR  SAFETY
 NET  ASSISTANCE.  FOR  THE PURPOSES OF THIS PARAGRAPH, THE TERM "CORREC-
 TIONAL FACILITY" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS DEFINED BY  SECTION  TWO
 OF THE CORRECTION LAW.
   § 2. Subdivision 2 of section 112 of the correction law, as amended by
 chapter 322 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
   2.  The  commissioner shall have the management and control of persons
 released on community supervision and of all matters  relating  to  such
 persons'  effective reentry into the community, as well as all contracts
 and fiscal concerns thereof. The commissioner shall have the  power  and
 it  shall  be  [his  or her] THE COMMISSIONER'S duty to inquire into all
 matters connected with  said  community  supervision.  The  commissioner
 shall make such rules and regulations, not in conflict with the statutes
 of this state, for the governance of the officers and other employees of
 the  department assigned to said community supervision, and in regard to
 the duties to be performed by them, as  [he  or  she]  THE  COMMISSIONER
 
              

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05057-01-5
 A. 3935                             2
 
 deems  proper and shall cause such rules and regulations to be furnished
 to each employee assigned to perform community supervision. The  commis-
 sioner shall also prescribe a system of accounts and records to be kept,
 which shall be uniform. The commissioner shall also make rules and regu-
 lations  for a record of photographs and other means of identifying each
 incarcerated individual released to community supervision.  The  commis-
 sioner  shall appoint officers and other employees of the department who
 are assigned to  perform  community  supervision.  WHERE  APPLICABLE,  A
 CORRECTIONAL  FACILITY  SHALL  PROVIDE EACH PERSON WITH APPLICATIONS FOR
 PUBLIC ASSISTANCE,  SUPPLEMENTAL  NUTRITION  ASSISTANCE  PROGRAM  (SNAP)
 UNDER  SECTION  NINETY-FIVE  OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES LAW, SPECIAL SUPPLE-
 MENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN, INFANTS, AND CHILDREN (WIC) UNDER 42
 USC § 1786, AND THE HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM  (HEAP)  AS  ADMINIS-
 TERED  BY  THE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE, IN ACCORD-
 ANCE WITH SECTION ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-EIGHT OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES LAW, 42
 USC § 1383 AND SECTION TWO HUNDRED NINE  OF  THE  SOCIAL  SERVICES  LAW.
 BENEFITS NAVIGATORS SHALL PROVIDE ASSISTANCE IN COMPLETING SUCH APPLICA-
 TIONS.  EACH CORRECTIONAL FACILITY SHALL ENSURE EVERY INCARCERATED INDI-
 VIDUAL WHOSE RESIDENCE HAS BEEN APPROVED HAS AN INDIVIDUAL  ASSIGNED  TO
 THEM  IN  APPLYING  FOR SAFETY NET PROGRAMS IN ACCORDANCE WITH PARAGRAPH
 (B) OF SUBDIVISION FOUR OF SECTION ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-EIGHT OF THE SOCIAL
 SERVICES LAW. THE DEPARTMENT MAY CONTRACT WITH NOT-FOR-PROFIT  PROVIDERS
 WITH EXPERIENCE ASSISTING INDIVIDUALS WITH BENEFITS APPLICATIONS.
   §  3.  The  correction law is amended by adding a new section 500-q to
 read as follows:
   § 500-Q. RE-ENTRY SERVICES.  EACH  INCARCERATED  INDIVIDUAL  SHALL  BE
 ELIGIBLE  TO  APPLY  FOR RE-ENTRY SERVICES, WHICH SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT
 LIMITED TO SAFETY NET ASSISTANCE, SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME AND STATE
 SUPPLEMENTAL PAYMENTS PRIOR TO THEIR EARLIEST EXPECTED RELEASE  DATE  IN
 ACCORDANCE  WITH  SECTION ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-EIGHT OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES
 LAW, 42 USC § 1383 AND SECTION TWO HUNDRED NINE OF THE  SOCIAL  SERVICES
 LAW,  RESPECTIVELY.  THE  OFFENDER  REHABILITATION  COORDINATOR OR OTHER
 PERSON IN CHARGE OF RE-ENTRY SERVICES AT A LOCAL  CORRECTIONAL  FACILITY
 SHALL  PROVIDE ASSISTANCE IN COMPLETING AND FILING SUCH APPLICATIONS AND
 MAY CONTRACT WITH NOT-FOR-PROFIT  PROVIDERS  WITH  EXPERIENCE  ASSISTING
 INDIVIDUALS  DURING THE APPLICATION AND APPEALS PROCESSES FOR SUCH BENE-
 FITS TO PROVIDE INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS WITH ASSISTANCE  IN  COMPLETING
 APPLICATIONS  FOR  SUCH  BENEFITS.  EACH  CORRECTIONAL FACILITY SHALL BE
 REQUIRED TO REPORT TO THE EXECUTIVE,  THE  TEMPORARY  PRESIDENT  OF  THE
 SENATE  AND  THE  SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY ON HOW THEY ARE PROVIDING SUCH
 RE-ENTRY SERVICES. SUCH REPORTING SHALL INCLUDE METRICS ON  THE  FOLLOW-
 ING:
   (A)  HOW  MANY  PEOPLE  WERE  DEEMED ELIGIBLE FOR AT LEAST ONE TYPE OF
 BENEFIT, DISAGGREGATED BY TYPE OF BENEFIT;
   (B) FOR HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED, DISAGGREGATED  BY
 TYPE OF BENEFIT;
   (C)  FOR ANY PEOPLE DEEMED ELIGIBLE BUT FOR WHOM APPLICATIONS WERE NOT
 SUBMITTED, DISAGGREGATED BY DEMOGRAPHIC; AND
   (D) THE REASON THAT SUCH APPLICATIONS WERE NOT FILED, DISAGGREGATED BY
 TYPE OF BENEFIT AND BY REASON.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
 ing the date upon which it shall have become a law. Effective immediate-
 ly,  the  addition,  amendment  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation
 necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective  date  are
 authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.