What's happening
This bill prevents social services from recovering paid public assistance without first crediting recipients for their work experience hours at minimum wage.
Why it matters
Protects low-income individuals from "double payment". The bill ensures that people who have already worked off some or all of their public assistance through required work experience programs are not later asked to repay those same benefits, preventing unfair financial burdens.
Recognizes the value of work performed. By requiring that hours spent in work experience programs be credited at the minimum wage rate, the bill formally acknowledges that recipients’ labor has real economic value, not just as a program compliance requirement.
Limits aggressive recovery practices. Social service agencies would have to calculate and apply this credit before attempting to recover any public assistance paid, potentially reducing or eliminating the amount recouped from recipients and providing greater financial security to vulnerable populations.
Could impact program administration and recipient participation. The policy may encourage more participation in work experience programs by making them a more equitable exchange, and it requires agencies to update procedures and train staff, potentially affecting how social services are delivered.
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Who cares
Current and former public assistance recipients
Those required to participate in a work experience program would receive a credit against recovery of properly paid assistance for hours actually worked, valued at the higher applicable state or federal minimum wage.
Social services officials
They would have to apply the work experience credit before recovering properly paid assistance from affected recipients or former recipients.
Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance
The agency would be required to issue rules and regulations and conduct any necessary training to implement the bill.
Headline styles
Stop Assistance Payback for Work
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
10 Co-sponsors
2 Multi-sponsors
History
- Referred to social services
- Referred to social services
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4655
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 3, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. TITUS, HOOPER, JAFFEE, COOK, GOTTFRIED, BUCHWALD, CRESPO, ROSENTHAL, M. G. MILLER, RIVERA, CAHILL -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. GLICK, MOSLEY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Social Services
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to work experience
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 336-c of the social services law is amended by adding a new subdivision 5 to read as follows:
5. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a social services official may not recover public assistance properly paid as permitted under sections one hundred four, one hundred four-b, one hundred six, one hundred thirty-one-r and subdivision three of section one hundred fifty-eight of this chapter or any other provision of this title, where a recipient or former recipient of such assistance was required to participate in a work experience program under this section, without first crediting against such recovery the number of hours that such person actually participated in a work experience program multiplied by the higher of the applicable state or federal minimum wage.
§ 2. Effective immediately, the office of temporary and disability assistance shall promulgate rules and regulations, and conduct any requisite training necessary for the implementation of this act.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02629-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.