S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4666
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 4, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. FORREST -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Social Services
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to applications for
   public assistance and to repeal certain provisions of such law  relat-
   ing thereto
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 8 of section 153 of the social services law  is
 REPEALED.
   § 2. Section 131 of the social services law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 21 to read as follows:
   21.  THE  DECISION  OF THE LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT TO ACCEPT OR
 DENY AN APPLICATION FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE  SHALL  BE  MADE  AS  SOON  AS
 POSSIBLE,  BUT  NO LATER THAN THIRTY DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF THE APPLICA-
 TION, EXCEPT WHERE THE  APPLICANT  REQUESTS  ADDITIONAL  TIME  OR  WHERE
 DIFFICULTIES  IN  VERIFICATION  LEAD  TO  UNUSUAL DELAY OR OTHER REASONS
 BEYOND THE CONTROL OF THE LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES OFFICIAL.
   § 3. Paragraph (b) of subdivision  5  of  section  22  of  the  social
 services  law,  as amended by chapter 41 of the laws of 1992, is amended
 to read as follows:
   (b) Failure to act upon any application [within] AS SOON  AS  POSSIBLE
 BUT  NO  LATER  THAN  thirty days after filing[, except applications for
 home relief], or failure to comply with laws and  regulations  requiring
 that priority be given to certain applications for assistance[, or fail-
 ure  to  act  on  any application for home relief within forty-five days
 after filing].
   § 4. Subdivision 13 of section 131-a of the social  services  law,  as
 added by chapter 477 of the laws of 2000, is amended to read as follows:
   13.  Pursuant to regulations of the office of temporary and disability
 assistance, public assistance eligibility shall, to the extent permitted
 by federal law, not lapse solely by reason of the  death  of  the  adult

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06687-01-5
              

 A. 4666                             2
 
 relative  caretaker  of  a minor child, until arrangements are completed
 for the addition of the child to another  public  assistance  household,
 reclassification of the case, foster care or other appropriate financial
 support.  [For  purposes  of  subdivision  eight  of section one hundred
 fifty-three of this article, safety net assistance given to such a child
 during the first forty-five days after  application  therefor  shall  be
 regarded as being given to meet emergency circumstances.]
   §  5.  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.  Social  services  officials shall determine eligibility for safety
 net assistance [within] AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT NO  LATER  THAN  thirty
 days  AFTER  THE DATE of receiving an application for safety net assist-
 ance. Such officials shall notify applicants of  safety  net  assistance
 about  the availability of assistance to meet emergency circumstances or
 to prevent eviction.
   § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.