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A4180Assembly2019-2020 Session

End Fingerprinting for Food Stamps

Official title

“Provides that applicants or recipients for food stamps shall not be subjected to finger imaging as a requirement of the food stamp program”

Sponsor Andrew HevesiAD-28+1 co-sponsorAffects Health
Status
In Assembly Committee
Social Services
Impact
5/10
Moderate
Passage
0%

Bill progress

Step 2 of 7

In committee · Social Services

What's happening

This bill prohibits requiring food stamp applicants or recipients in New York to undergo finger imaging.

Why it matters

  1. Removes a barrier to accessing food assistance. by eliminating the requirement for finger imaging, which some applicants may find invasive, stigmatizing, or technologically inaccessible.

  2. Reduces administrative costs and complexity. for local social services offices, as finger imaging equipment and procedures can be expensive to maintain and manage.

  3. Addresses privacy and civil liberties concerns. by preventing the collection of biometric data from individuals simply seeking food aid, which some advocates view as an unnecessary surveillance practice.

  4. May increase participation rates in SNAP (food stamps). by making the application process simpler and less intimidating, potentially helping more food-insecure New Yorkers get needed support.

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Who cares

  • Food stamp applicants

    The bill would bar social services commissioners from requiring finger imaging as a condition of the food stamp program.

  • Food stamp recipients

    The bill would protect people already receiving food stamps from being required to undergo finger imaging for the program.

  • Social services commissioners

    The bill would prohibit them from imposing finger imaging requirements on food stamp applicants or recipients.

Headline styles

End Fingerprinting for Food Stamps

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Andrew Hevesi

Assembly Member · Assembly District 28

Chair, Children and Families

History

  1. Referred to social services
  2. Referred to social services

Full text

1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

4180

2019-2020 Regular Sessions

IN ASSEMBLY

February 1, 2019

Introduced by M. of A. HEVESI, PEOPLES-STOKES -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. GLICK, GOTTFRIED -- read once and referred to the Committee on Social Services

AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to finger imaging for food stamps recipients

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 95 of the social services law is amended by adding a new paragraph (d) to read as follows:

(d) No commissioner of social services shall require applicants for or recipients of food stamps to be subjected to finger imaging as a requirement of the food stamp program.

§ 2. This act shall take effect September 1, 2020.

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD01066-01-9

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.