NY State Senate Bill 2025-S913

Senate Bill S913

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Prohibits requiring that an individual have a court proceeding initiated against them in order to qualify for a rent arrears grant or ongoing rental assistance

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Social Services 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 08, 2025	referred to social services

2025-S913 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A1501
Current Committee:: Senate Social Services
Law Section:: Social Services Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §131, Soc Serv L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S6844, A7219
2023-2024: S2944, A5512

2025-S913 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits requiring that an individual have a court proceeding initiated against them in order to qualify for a rent arrears grant or ongoing rental assistance.

2025-S913 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S913

SPONSOR: KAVANAGH
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the social services law, in relation to prohibiting the
requirement that a court proceeding has been initiated against an indi-
vidual in order for such individual to qualify for a rent arrears grant
or ongoing rental assistance

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To remove the requirement that a court proceeding be initiated against
an individual to obtain rental assistance.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one amends section 131 of the social services law by adding a
new subdivision 21.

Section two establishes the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Under current law, to qualify for certain rental assistance, individuals
must be able to show that an eviction proceeding has already been initi-
ated against them. Even in cases where an eviction is imminent and a
person will soon become homeless, individuals are not eligible for
certain rental assistance until the court proceeding has been initiated.
This process is not only traumatic for the tenant, it creates an unnec-
essary burden for all parties involved when the tenant could simply be
provided assistance before the eviction process has formally begun. This
legislation would remove such a requirement that an individual must be
facing a court proceeding before receiving rental assistance.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2024: S2944 (Kavanagh) - REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE /A5512

(Rosenthal L) - ordered to third reading rules cal.46 2023: S2944
(Kavanagh) - REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE /A5512

(Rosenthal L) - reported referred to rules 2022: S6844 (Kavanagh) -
REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE /A7219A

(Rosenthal L) advanced to third reading cal.601 2021: S6844 (Kavanagh) -
REFERRED TO SOCIAL SERVICES /A7219A

(Rosenthal L) reported referred to ways and means

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S913 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    913
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. KAVANAGH -- 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 prohibiting  the
   requirement  that  a  court  proceeding  has been initiated against an
   individual in order for such individual to qualify for a rent  arrears
   grant or ongoing rental assistance
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 131 of the  social  services  law,  is  amended  by
 adding a new subdivision 21 to read as follows:
   21. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER SECTION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, PROOF OF
 A  COURT  PROCEEDING  THAT  HAS  BEEN INITIATED AGAINST THE APPLICANT OR
 RECIPIENT SHALL NOT BE REQUIRED TO QUALIFY FOR EMERGENCY  ASSISTANCE  TO
 COVER  RENT  ARREARS  OR  PUBLIC  ASSISTANCE  TO  PROVIDE ONGOING RENTAL
 SUPPORT.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02398-01-5

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