New York S 3222: Diminishes certain limitations and restrictions on emergency assistance to pay rent arrears and removes the requirement that such assistance be repaid by the recipient

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S03222 Summary:

BILL NOS03222 

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SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORKAVANAGH

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Amd §§131, 131-w & 350-j, Soc Serv L

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Diminishes certain limitations and restrictions on emergency assistance to pay rent arrears; removes the requirement that such assistance be repaid by the recipient.

Go to top S03222 Actions:

BILL NOS03222 

&nbsp

01/24/2025REFERRED TO SOCIAL SERVICES

01/07/2026REFERRED TO SOCIAL SERVICES

Go to topS03222 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS03222 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topS03222 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 3222

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 January 24, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. KAVANAGH -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services

 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to diminishing
 certain limitations and restrictions on emergency assistance to pay
 rent arrears and removing the requirement that such assistance be
 repaid by the recipient

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

 1 Section 1. Section 131-w of the social services law, as added by chap-
 2 ter 41 of the laws of 1992, is amended to read as follows:
 3 § 131-w. Limitations in the payment of rent arrears. [Districts] Local
 4 social services districts shall not provide assistance to pay rent
 5 arrears, property taxes or mortgage arrears for persons not eligible for
 6 home relief, aid to dependent children, emergency assistance to needy
 7 families with children or emergency assistance for aged, blind and disa-
 8 bled persons, except to persons who are without income or resources
 9 immediately available to meet the emergency need, whose gross household
 10 income does not exceed [one] two hundred [twenty-five] percent of the
 11 federal income official poverty line [and who sign a repayment agreement
 12 agreeing to repay the assistance in a period not to exceed twelve
 13 months. The districts shall enforce the repayment agreements by any
 14 legal method available to a creditor, in addition to any rights it has
 15 pursuant to this chapter]. Local social services districts shall not
 16 require an applicant for emergency assistance to pay rent arrears to
 17 demonstrate an ability to pay shelter expenses, including any amounts in
 18 excess of the appropriate local agency maximum monthly shelter allow-
 19 ance, in the future. Local social services districts shall not require
 20 a recipient to repay emergency assistance provided to pay rent arrears.
 21 The department shall promulgate regulations to implement this section
 22 which shall, among other things, [establish standards for the contents
 23 of repayment agreements and] establish standards to ensure that assist-

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD06980-01-5

 S. 3222 2

 1 ance is provided only in emergency circumstances; provided, however,
 2 proof that a court proceeding that has been initiated against the appli-
 3 cant or recipient shall not be required to establish emergency circum-
 4 stances sufficient for the provision of emergency assistance to cover
 5 rent arrears.
 6 § 2. Section 131 of the social services law is amended by adding a new
 7 subdivision 21 to read as follows:
 8 21. Notwithstanding any other law, rule or regulation to the contrary,
 9 any emergency assistance to pay rent arrears may be provided for a peri-
 10 od of up to twelve months, unless a local social services district
 11 determines in its discretion that additional assistance is necessary to
 12 cover rent arrears in a particular case. A recipient of emergency
 13 assistance for payment of rent arrears shall not be eligible for subse-
 14 quent emergency assistance to pay rent arrears for a period of at least
 15 twenty-four months unless the local social services district determines
 16 at its discretion that additional rent arrears payments are necessary
 17 based on the individual case circumstances.
 18 § 3. Subdivision 3 of section 350-j of the social services law, as
 19 amended by section 38 of part