What's happening
This bill allows New Yorkers to voluntarily donate on tax forms to a new fund supporting home-delivered meals for seniors.
Why it matters
Creates a dedicated "senior wellness in nutrition fund". ensuring all money donated through tax forms is used exclusively for state-approved home-delivered meal programs for seniors, providing a stable and transparent funding source.
Allows both individuals and businesses to contribute voluntarily. in any whole dollar amount, expanding the pool of potential donors beyond just individual taxpayers and increasing potential impact.
Requires annual public reporting. by the comptroller and the director of the state office for the aging, detailing how much was collected, how funds were distributed, and exactly how they were used—enhancing accountability and transparency.
Mandates that funds be spent within the fiscal year whenever possible. , helping ensure that donations quickly translate into direct services for seniors rather than accumulating unused in state accounts.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Support Meals for Seniors
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Print number 4362a
- Amend and recommit to investigations and government operations
- Referred to investigations and government operations
- Referred to investigations and government operations
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Support Senior Meals via Tax
In Senate Committee · Investigations And Government Operations · Sponsor Steven Englebright
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
S. 4362--A A. 5575--A Cal. No. 396
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
SENATE - ASSEMBLY
February 10, 2017
IN SENATE -- Introduced by Sen. LAVALLE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Government Operations -- recommitted to the Committee on Investigations and Government Operations in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
IN ASSEMBLY -- Introduced by M. of A. ENGLEBRIGHT, PERRY -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. GOODELL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means -- ordered to a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place on the order of third reading
AN ACT to amend the tax law and the state finance law, in relation to establishing a gift for home delivered meals for seniors on the business franchise and personal income tax forms and establishing the senior wellness in nutrition fund
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The tax law is amended by adding a new section 209-L to read as follows:
§ 209-L. Gift for home delivered meals for seniors. Effective for any tax year commencing on or after January first, two thousand eighteen, a taxpayer in any taxable year may elect to contribute to the support of the senior wellness in nutrition fund for the purpose of providing home delivered meals to seniors. Such contribution shall be in any whole dollar amount and shall not reduce the amount of state tax owed by such taxpayer. The commissioner shall include space on the business franchise income tax return, entitled "Meals on Wheels for Seniors", to enable a taxpayer to make such contribution. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all revenues collected pursuant to this section shall be credited to the senior wellness in nutrition fund and shall only be used for those purposes enumerated in section ninety-one-g of the state finance law.
§ 2. The tax law is amended by adding a new section 626-a to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03855-02-8
S. 4362--A 2 A. 5575--A
§ 626-a. Gift for home delivered meals for seniors. Effective for any tax year commencing on or after January first, two thousand eighteen, an individual in any taxable year may elect to contribute to the support of the senior wellness in nutrition fund for the purpose of providing home delivered meals to seniors. Such contribution shall be in any whole dollar amount and shall not reduce the amount of state tax owed by such individual. The commissioner shall include space on the personal income tax return, entitled "Meals on Wheels for Seniors", to enable a taxpayer to make such contribution. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all revenues collected pursuant to this section shall be credited to the senior wellness in nutrition fund and used only for the purposes enumerated in section ninety-one-g of the state finance law.
§ 3. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 91-g to read as follows:
§ 91-g. Senior wellness in nutrition fund. 1. There is hereby established in the joint custody of the commissioner of taxation and finance and the comptroller, a special fund to be known as the "senior wellness in nutrition fund".
2. Such fund shall consist of all revenues received by the department of taxation and finance, pursuant to the provisions of section two hundred nine-L and section six hundred twenty-six-a of the tax law, and all other moneys appropriated, credited or transferred thereto from any other fund or source pursuant to law. Nothing in this section shall prevent the state from receiving grants, gifts or bequests for the purposes of the fund as defined in this section and depositing them into the fund according to law.
3. Monies of the fund shall be expended solely for senior wellness in nutrition programs approved by the state office for the aging, for the purpose of providing home delivered meals to seniors.
4. Monies shall be payable from the fund on the audit and warrant of the comptroller on vouchers approved and certified by the director of the state office for the aging.
5. To the extent practicable, the director of the state office for the aging shall ensure that all monies received during a fiscal year are expended prior to the end of such fiscal year.
6. On or before the first day of February each year, the comptroller shall certify to the governor, temporary president of the senate, speaker of the assembly, chair of the senate finance committee and chair of the assembly ways and means committee, the amount of money deposited in the senior wellness in nutrition fund during the preceding calendar year as the result of revenue derived pursuant to sections two hundred nine-L and six hundred twenty-six-a of the tax law.
7. On or before the first day of February each year, the director of the state office for the aging shall provide a written report to the temporary president of the senate, speaker of the assembly, chair of the senate finance committee, chair of the assembly ways and means committee, chair of the senate committee on aging, and chair of the assembly aging committee. Such report shall include how the monies of the fund were utilized during the preceding calendar year and shall include:
(i) the amount of money dispersed from the fund;
(ii) recipients of awards from the fund;
(iii) the amount awarded to each; and
(iv) the purposes for which such awards were granted.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the tax law and the state finance law, in relation to establishing a gift for home delivered meals for seniors on the business franchise and personal income tax forms and establishing the senior wellness in nutrition fund
Purpose
To create a new item on the personal income tax form and the business franchise ax form to make a gift for home delivered meals for seniors. It would also establish the senior wellness in nutrition fund.
Summary of provisions
This bill amends the tax law by adding new sections 209-1 and 626-a. These sections allow a taxpayer or individual to elect to contribute to the wellness in nutrition program for the purpose of providing home delivered meals to seniors. The commissioner shall include space on the personal income tax form and the business franchise income tax form, entitled "Meals on Wheels for Seniors" to enable an individual or a taxpayer to make such a contribution. All revenue collected pursuant to these sections shall be credited to the wellness in nutrition program fund and used only for the purpose of providing home delivered meals to seniors.
A new section 91-g is added to the state finance law to establish the senior wellness in nutrition fund.
Justification
Homebound senior citizens who are unable to shop or cook for themselves benefit greatly from home delivered meals. The growing need for this service exceeds the currently available funding. This legislation would encourage financial contributions to this necessary program.
Legislative history
2016 S.7330/A.6474B; 2007-08 A.9212; 2009-10 A.5335; 2013-14 A.5806.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.