BILL NUMBER: S1757
SPONSOR: PERSAUD
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to any unearned
income of a child in certain circumstances
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill amends the Social Services Law (SSL) to permit caregivers to
exclude children with unearned income from the public assistance house-
hold.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of this bill amends subdivision 8 of section 131-a of the
social services law by adding a new subparagraph (xiv), to allow a care-
giver to exclude any unearned income of a child from the public assist-
ance household.
Section 2 of this bill would amend the heading of section 131-c of the
social services law.
Section 3 of this bill would amend subdivision 1 of section 131-c of the
social services law to prohibit the local social services district from
requiring any unearned income of a child from being considered as part
of the public assistance household when a caregiver was applying for
assistance for another child in the same dwelling unit.
Section 4 establishes the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
This bill addresses disparities that exist when a minor is named as an
applicant for public assistance. Current law requires a minor's parents
and any other minor siblings living in the home to also apply for
assistance and be included in the household for purposes of determining
both eligibility and grant amount. This means that the income of any
child, such as child support or social security survivor's benefits, is
considered available to the entire household, and reduces the entire
grant of the household making far fewer resources available for the care
of the child applying for assistance, as well as any other children in
the household. This bill would remove that unearned income from the
public assistance household.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2024: S7991 reported to Finance.
2022: S.8562 First reading cal.839, Advanced to third reading
2019: S4809-A (Persaud) Vetoed Memo. 164
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the 180th day after it shall have become a
law.

Statutes affected:
S1757: 131-a social services law, 131-a(8) social services law, 131-c social services law, 131-c(1) social services law