NY State Senate Bill 2025-S2567

Senate Bill S2567

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Waives certain requirements of the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children during a state of emergency declared as a result of a public health crisis

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Health 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

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 21, 2025	referred to health

2025-S2567 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Health
Law Section:: Public Health Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §206, Pub Health L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S8384
2021-2022: S4161
2023-2024: S1628

2025-S2567 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Waives certain requirements of the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children during a state of emergency declared as a result of a public health crisis, including: allowing any unused portions of any monthly allowances to carry over from month to month; increasing the amount of the monetary limit of not less than sixty percent for the purchase of fresh fruit and vegetables.

2025-S2567 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S2567

SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to directing the
commissioner of health to waive certain requirements of the special
supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children during a
state of emergency declared as a result of a public health crisis

 
PURPOSE:

To ensure that flexibility is built in to certain requirements of the
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children
(WIC) that will apply during a public health crisis.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Amends Section 206 of the Public Health Law to provide the Commissioner
of Health with the power to add flexibility to the WIC program in'the
following ways:

(1) Program participants must be able to carry over voucher allotments
from month to month, instead of the present practice of monthly expira-
tion;

(2) Program participants must be given the flexibility to purchase addi-
tional supplies of fresh fruits and vegetables, by increasing the mone-
tary limit by at least 60% (to at least $15.00), as supply issues and
the lack of affordability due to COVIDI9 persist;

(3) Any other requirements of the program that the Commissioner decides
is in the best interest of beneficiaries.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The COVID-19 Pandemic has touched every facet of our life, including the
very nature of how we shop as consumers and how the supply chain inter-
acts with merchants. Many WIC customers have been denied benefits
because stores were literally out of a product, charging high process
for fruits and vegetables, and with each store having limited hours,
long lines, social distancing protocols and restrictions on bringing
children to shop with you, many individuals are being denied their WIC
benefits at the time when they need them the absolute most. This legis-
lation gives the Health Commissioner necessary flexibility to address on
the ground issues that persist due to the public health pandemic.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2024: S1628 Comrie/ A2240 Hyndman

2022: S4161

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S2567 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2567
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 21, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
 
 AN ACT to amend the public health law,  in  relation  to  directing  the
   commissioner  of  health  to waive certain requirements of the special
   supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children  during
   a state of emergency declared as a result of a public health crisis
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 206 of the public  health  law  is
 amended by adding a new paragraph (x) to read as follows:
   (X)  DURING  A  STATE  OF  EMERGENCY  DECLARED AS A RESULT OF A PUBLIC
 HEALTH CRISIS, WAIVE CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS OF  THE  SPECIAL  SUPPLEMENTAL
 NUTRITION  PROGRAM  FOR  WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
 LIMITED TO:
   (I) THE REQUIREMENT THAT THE MONTHLY ALLOWANCES  AVAILABLE  UNDER  THE
 PROGRAM  EXPIRE  EACH MONTH AND PROVIDE THAT ANY UNUSED PORTIONS OF SUCH
 ALLOWANCES MAY CARRY OVER FROM MONTH TO MONTH;
   (II) THE CURRENT MONTHLY MONETARY LIMIT  FOR  THE  PURCHASE  OF  FRESH
 FRUITS  AND VEGETABLES AND PROVIDE FOR AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF SUCH
 MONETARY LIMIT OF NOT LESS THAN SIXTY PERCENT; AND
   (III) ANY OTHER REQUIREMENTS OF  THE  PROGRAM  THAT  THE  COMMISSIONER
 DEEMS  NECESSARY  TO  WAIVE  IN  ORDER  TO PROTECT THE BEST INTERESTS OF
 ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING ALLOWANCES UNDER THE PROGRAM.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03791-01-5

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