What's happening
This bill makes home visiting services available and countable as work activities for certain public assistance recipients in New York.
Why it matters
Expands support options for vulnerable families. By making home visiting services available to public assistance recipients exempt from work activities (such as those with young children or disabilities), the bill provides additional resources to families who may benefit most from in-home guidance, parenting support, and child development programs.
Reduces barriers to meeting work requirements. Allowing participation in home visiting programs to count toward mandated work activities helps recipients meet eligibility requirements for benefits, especially for parents or caregivers who may struggle with traditional employment or training due to caregiving responsibilities or other challenges.
Promotes early childhood and family well-being. Connecting eligible families to evidence-based home visiting services (as defined by federal standards) is linked to improved child health, school readiness, and family self-sufficiency outcomes, potentially reducing long-term reliance on public assistance.
Requires proactive outreach and individualized assessment. Social services officials must inform recipients about home visiting options, assess whether such services would be beneficial, and help match families to appropriate programs—making access to these supports more systematic and equitable across local districts.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Home Visits for Welfare
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to ways and means
- Reported referred to ways and means
- Referred to social services
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.
Expand Home Visits for Welfare
In Senate Committee · Rules · Sponsor Velmanette Montgomery
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6782
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 20, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. FAHY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Social Services
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to home visiting services for applicants for, or recipients of, public assistance benefits who are exempt from certain work activities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 332 of the social services law is amended by adding a new subdivision 1-a to read as follows:
1-a. Applicants for, or recipients of, public assistance who are exempt from work activities pursuant to paragraph (d) or (e) of subdivision one of this section shall be eligible to receive home visiting services that meet the criteria established pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 711, so long as such individual meets all other eligibility criteria established pursuant to the particular home visiting model. The local social services district shall provide information to any applicant or recipient that is interested in receiving such services and provide assistance in determining the most appropriate model to meet the particular needs of the individual.
§ 2. Subdivision 1 of section 335 of the social services law, as amended by chapter 214 of the laws of 1998, is amended and a new paragraph (c) is added to subdivision 2 to read as follows:
1. Each social services official shall ensure that each recipient of public assistance who is a member of a household with dependent children and is eighteen years of age or older, or who is sixteen or seventeen years of age and is not attending secondary school and has not completed high school or a high school equivalency program, receives an assessment of employability based on his or her educational level, including literacy and English language proficiency, basic skills proficiency, child care and other supportive services needs; and skills, prior work experience, training and vocational interests. This assessment shall include a
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10767-01-9
A. 6782 2
review of family circumstances including a review of any special needs of a child and whether home visiting services would be appropriate and beneficial for the family. Such assessment shall be completed within ninety days of the date on which such person is determined eligible for public assistance. An applicant for or recipient of public assistance may be assigned to work activities prior to completion of such assessment.
(c) Where an assessment indicates that home visiting services would be appropriate and beneficial to the public assistance household, and such services are available, the local social services official shall encourage the recipient to participate in such services. To the extent that such participant is interested in receiving home visiting services, the local social services official shall assign the participant to a work activity in accordance with paragraph (f) or (m) of subdivision one of section three hundred thirty-six of this title, where such home visiting services shall count towards the individual's work requirements as set forth in section three hundred thirty-five-b of this title.
§ 3. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 5 of section 335-b of the social services law, as added by section 148 of part B of chapter 436 of the laws of 1997, is amended to read as follows:
(c) Each social services official shall ensure that each parent or caretaker of a child, when such parent or caretaker is receiving public assistance, is engaged in work as soon as practicable. Provided, however, that such social services official shall ensure that each parent or caretaker of a child under the age of five is provided with information regarding home visiting programs which meet the criteria established pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 711 in their area, and that such home visiting services may satisfy a portion of such individual's required work activities.
§ 4. Paragraphs (f) and (m) of subdivision 1 of section 336 of the social services law, paragraph (f) as amended by chapter 275 of the laws of 2017, and paragraph (m) as amended by section 148 of part B of chapter 436 of the laws of 1997, are amended to read as follows:
(f) job search and job readiness assistance, which shall include activities with the goal of seeking or obtaining employment, or preparation to seek or obtain employment, including life-skills training, which shall include but not be limited to home visiting services to the recipient and their family, and provided further that job search is an active and continuing effort to secure employment configured by the local social services official; and such social services district may work in cooperation with the department of labor to provide workforce guidance and information in accordance with section ten-c of the labor law;
(m) job search and job readiness assistance, as defined in paragraph (f) of this subdivision, once the individual has exceeded the six week limit set in federal law;
§ 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
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