What's happening
This bill repeals and replaces existing law to provide at least $50 monthly assistance to people with disabilities for guide, hearing, or service dog expenses.
Why it matters
Expands eligibility. by allowing people with disabilities who receive a range of public benefits—including but not limited to SSI, SNAP, Medicaid, or state disability payments—to qualify for monthly financial support for service animal expenses.
Provides state reimbursement. to local social services districts for all costs (including administrative) of delivering this assistance, ensuring that county budgets are not strained by the new mandate.
Broadens the definition of service dogs. to include any dog trained to assist a person with a disability, regardless of whether the animal is formally certified, which increases inclusivity and flexibility for individuals' needs.
Establishes clear procedures. for determining and regularly reviewing eligibility, aiming to ensure that assistance reaches those who genuinely need ongoing support with the costs of maintaining their service animals.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Help for Service Dog Costs
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to social services
- Referred to social services
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
678
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL, D'URSO, BARRON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Social Services
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to assistance for guide dogs, hearing dogs and service dogs and to repeal section 303-a of such law relating thereto
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 303-a of the social services law is REPEALED and a new section 131-y is added to read as follows:
§ 131-y. Assistance for guide dogs, hearing dogs and service dogs. 1. It shall be the duty of the social services official to provide assistance, in accordance with regulations of the department, to a person with a disability using a guide dog, hearing dog or service dog who has been determined to be eligible for or is receiving, including but not limited to, federal supplemental security income benefits, supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits, medical assistance for needy persons and/or additional state payments under this chapter, for the purchase of food and the cost of veterinarian expenses for such dog.
2. Such regulations of the department shall fix an amount of not less than fifty dollars a month, and the method and frequency of distribution and procedures for the determination and periodical redetermination of eligibility for such assistance.
3. Such assistance shall not be granted to any person for whom earned income has been exempted for such purpose pursuant to federal law or regulation.
4. The full amount properly expended by social services districts under this section, including costs of administration, shall be reimbursed by the state.
5. For purposes of this section, "service dog" shall mean any dog, regardless of certification, under the control of the person using or
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03601-01-9
A. 678 2
training it and that has been or is being individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
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.