§ 95-a. State food stamp outreach program. 1. In accordance with
federal requirements and to the extent that federal matching funds are
available, the department shall develop and implement an outreach plan
to inform low-income households potentially eligible to receive food
stamps and to encourage the participation of eligible households that
wish to participate.

2. In developing and implementing such a plan the department and/or
its local districts are authorized and empowered, subject to the
approval of the director of the budget and provided that federal aid is
available therefor, to enter into contractual agreements with public
and/or private organizations to develop and implement local, regional,
and statewide outreach programs.

3. Each commissioner of social services shall develop and submit to
the department on an annual basis for its approval, a local outreach
plan governing the use of local social services personnel and services
provided by federally funded and other agencies and organizations to
inform potentially eligible households of the availability and benefits
of the program and to encourage and facilitate the participation of
eligible households. The department shall provide commissioners of
social services with technical assistance as needed to carry out the
provisions of this subdivision.

4. As part of each local outreach plan, social services officials
shall take all steps necessary to maintain a supply of information
leaflets in public buildings, including but not limited to local
unemployment insurance and employment services offices of the department
of labor, institutions and facilities under the supervision or control
of the department of health, food stores, union halls, community centers
and local agencies providing services to the elderly to help insure that
eligible persons are informed of the food stamp program.

5. The department shall periodically distribute to all newspapers, and
to television and radio stations throughout the state, public service
announcements describing the food stamp program, including the toll-free
telephone numbers for food stamp information, and shall promptly inform
such media of significant changes in the program affecting eligibility
requirements and/or the amount of the food stamp bonus.

6. The department shall establish procedures in cooperation with the
industrial commissioner of the department of labor to ensure that
informational leaflets about the food stamp program are sent to each
local employment services office for distribution pursuant to section
five hundred and forty of the labor law. Each leaflet shall include but
not be limited to: the phone number for the New York State food stamp
hotline, estimated maximum income eligibility levels by household size
for participation in the food stamp program and the availability of
local social services departments to provide additional information
about the program.

7. In accordance with applicable federal laws, rules and regulations
the department shall make available appropriate bilingual materials so
that potentially eligible non English speaking individuals may be
informed about the food stamp program.

8. The department shall promulgate rules and regulations, and take all
other actions necessary for the effective implementation of this
section.