NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5511
SPONSOR: Rosenthal L TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to requiring social
service's applications to be made available online
PURPOSE:
This bill would require the Office of Temporary and Disability (OTDA) to
make all public assistance applications available online.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends the social services law by adding a new paragraph (d).
Section 2 establishes the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Public assistance applications are often lengthy and complex. Some
public assistance applications, such as WIC and HEAP, are not available
online, creating additional bathers for individuals in need of assist-
ance. While New York State has made many public assistance applications
available online, the exclusion of others is felt by many, particularly
new mothers.
Online applications help facilitate program enrollment, which is why
many entities and organizations have maintained online application
options that were meant to be temporary due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
By making public assistance applications available online, burdens to
both applicants and the state are reduced.
Online applications provide individuals with flexibility during some of
their hardest moments and makes it easier for individuals to receive the
help they need.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-22: A.10552 - Referred to Social Services
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Undetermined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5511
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 15, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Social Services
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to requiring social
service's applications to be made available online
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 2 of section 20 of the social
2 services law, as amended by chapter 200 of the laws of 1946, is amended
3 and a new paragraph (d) is added to read as follows:
4 (c) distribute, reimburse and grant as herein provided the funds
5 appropriated by the legislature for such participation and also such
6 funds as may be received from the federal government for such purpose or
7 purposes[.]; and
8 (d) make publicly available online on the department's website any
9 application required pursuant to a provision of this chapter.
10 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05849-01-3
