New York A 2542: Provides public assistance for home internet service

Bill Text

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A02542 Summary:

BILL NOA02542 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS S08576

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SPONSORDavila

&nbsp

COSPNSRCunningham

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MLTSPNSR

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Amd §131-a, Soc Serv L

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Provides public assistance for home internet service payments.

Go to top A02542 Actions:

BILL NOA02542 

&nbsp

01/17/2025referred to social services

03/25/2025reported referred to ways and means

01/07/2026referred to ways and means

Go to topA02542 Committee&nbspVotes:

Committee:SOCIAL SERVICES Chair:Davila 
DATE:03/25/2025AYE/NAY:17/0 Action: Favorable refer to committee Ways and Means DavilaAyeMolitorAye

SolagesAyeSimpsonAye

EichensteinAyeMcDonoughExcused

ReyesAyeFriendAye

ForrestAyeBaileyAye

Gonzalez-RojasAye

De Los SantosAye

SimoneAye

RagaAye

BergerAye

ValdezAye

RomeroAye

O'PharrowAye

Go to topA02542 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topA02542 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 2542

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 January 17, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. DAVILA, CUNNINGHAM -- read once and referred to
 the Committee on Social Services

 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to providing public
 assistance for home internet service

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

 1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 131-a of the social services law,
 2 as amended by section 12 of part B of chapter 436 of the laws of 1997,
 3 is amended to read as follows:
 4 1. Any inconsistent provision of this chapter or other law notwith-
 5 standing, social services officials shall, in accordance with the
 6 provisions of this section and regulations of the department, provide
 7 public assistance to needy persons who constitute or are members of a
 8 family household, who are determined to be eligible in accordance with
 9 standards of need established in subdivision two of this section.
 10 Provision for such persons, for all items of need, less any available
 11 income or resources which are not required to be disregarded by other
 12 provisions of this chapter, shall be made in accordance with this
 13 section. Such provision shall be made in monthly or semi-monthly allow-
 14 ances and grants within the limits of the schedules included in subdivi-
 15 sion three of this section except for additional amounts which shall be
 16 included therein for shelter, fuel for heating, home internet service,
 17 additional cost of meals for persons who are unable to prepare meals at
 18 home and for other items for which specific provision is otherwise made
 19 in this article [five]. As used in this section the term "shelter" may
 20 include a grant not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars toward
 21 the purchase of an interest in a cooperative. A social services official
 22 shall require assignment of recipient's equity in such cooperative hous-
 23 ing in accordance with the rules of the board and regulations of the
 24 department.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD04574-01-5

 A. 2542 2

 1 § 2. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 2 of section 131-a of the social
 2 services law, as amended by chapter 87 of the laws of 1993, is amended
 3 to read as follows:
 4 (b) In addition to the above, the standard of need shall include
 5 amounts for shelter and fuel for heating, amounts for home energy
 6 payments (including amounts for supplemental home energy grants),
 7 amounts for home internet service payments, amounts for additional cost
 8 of meals for persons who are unable to prepare meals at home and amounts
 9 for other items when required by individual case circumstances for which
 10 specific provision is otherwise made in this article [five of this chap-
 11 ter]. For purposes of determining the amount to be included in the stan-
 12 dard of need for shelter and fuel for heating, to the extent that feder-
 13 al reimbursement is available therefor, social services officials shall
 14 include in the household any child who has entered foster care pursuant
 15 to section three hundred eighty-four-a of this chapter who was eligible
 16 for and in receipt of assistance and care as a member of the househ