Bill Text: NY A01101 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Authorizes social services districts to offer participants in public assistance employment programs an option to complete a course of instruction in financial literacy and personal finance; authorizes local social services districts to cooperate with the department of labor in providing workforce guidance and information.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-06 - referred to social services [A01101 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-A01101-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         1101
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                    January 8, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M. of A. PAULIN -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. RIVERA
         -- read once and referred to the Committee on Social Services
       AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to allowing  social
         services  districts to offer participants in public assistance employ-
         ment programs an option to complete a course in financial literacy and
         personal finance
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Paragraph (f) of subdivision 1 of section 336 of the social
    2  services  law, as amended by section 148 of part B of chapter 436 of the
    3  laws of 1997, is amended and a new paragraph (j-l) is added to  read  as
    4  follows:
    5    (f)  job search and job readiness assistance, provided that job search
    6  is an active and continuing effort to secure  employment  configured  by
    7  the  local  social  services official; AND SUCH SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT
    8  MAY WORK IN COOPERATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR  TO  PROVIDE  WORK-
    9  FORCE  GUIDANCE  AND INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION TEN-C OF THE
   10  LABOR LAW;
   11    (J-L) EDUCATION OR A COURSE OF INSTRUCTION IN FINANCIAL  LITERACY  AND
   12  PERSONAL  FINANCE THAT INCLUDES INSTRUCTION ON HOUSEHOLD CASH MANAGEMENT
   13  TECHNIQUES, CAREER ADVICE TO OBTAIN A WELL PAYING AND SECURE JOB,  USING
   14  CHECKING  AND  SAVINGS  ACCOUNTS, OBTAINING AND UTILIZING SHORT AND LONG
   15  TERM CREDIT, SECURING A LOAN OR OTHER LONG  TERM  FINANCING  ARRANGEMENT
   16  FOR  HIGH COST ITEMS SUCH AS A MOTOR VEHICLE, HOME OR PARTICIPATION IN A
   17  HIGHER EDUCATION COURSE OF INSTRUCTION OR TRADE  SCHOOL,  OBTAINING  AND
   18  USING  CREDIT  AND DEBIT CARDS, INVESTING AND SAVING MONEY, AND PLANNING
   19  FOR RETIREMENT;
   20    S 2. Subdivision 1 of section 336-a of the  social  services  law,  as
   21  amended  by  section  4  of part J of chapter 58 of the laws of 2014, is
   22  amended to read as follows:
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD03201-01-5
       A. 1101                             2
    1    1. Social services districts shall make  available  vocational  educa-
    2  tional training and educational activities.  Such activities may include
    3  but  need not be limited to, high school education or education designed
    4  to prepare a participant for  a  high  school  equivalency  certificate,
    5  basic  and  remedial education, education in English proficiency, EDUCA-
    6  TION IN FINANCIAL LITERACY AND PERSONAL FINANCE  PURSUANT  TO  PARAGRAPH
    7  (J-1)  OF  SUBDIVISION  ONE  OF SECTION THREE HUNDRED THIRTY-SIX OF THIS
    8  TITLE, and no more than a total of four years of  post-secondary  educa-
    9  tion  (or  the part-time equivalent). Educational activities pursuant to
   10  this section may be offered with any of the  following  providers  which
   11  meet  the performance or assessment standards established in regulations
   12  by the commissioner for such providers: a  community  college,  licensed
   13  trade  school,  registered  business  school, or a two-year or four-year
   14  college; provided, however, that such post-secondary education  must  be
   15  necessary  to  the attainment of the participant's individual employment
   16  goal as set forth in the employability plan and such  goal  must  relate
   17  directly to obtaining useful employment in a recognized occupation. When
   18  making  any  assignment  to  any  educational  activity pursuant to this
   19  subdivision, such assignment shall be permitted only to the extent  that
   20  such  assignment  is  consistent  with  the  individual's assessment and
   21  employment plan goals in accordance with sections three hundred  thirty-
   22  five  and  three  hundred  thirty-five-a of this title and shall require
   23  that the individual maintains satisfactory academic progress and  hourly
   24  participation  is  documented consistent with federal and state require-
   25  ments. For purposes of this provision "satisfactory  academic  progress"
   26  shall  mean  having a cumulative C average, or its equivalent, as deter-
   27  mined by the academic institution. The requirement to maintain satisfac-
   28  tory academic progress may be waived if done so by the academic institu-
   29  tion and the social services district based on undue hardship caused  by
   30  an  event such as a personal injury or illness of the student, the death
   31  of a relative of the student or  other  extenuating  circumstances.  Any
   32  enrollment in post-secondary education beyond a twelve month period must
   33  be  combined  with  no  less than twenty hours of participation averaged
   34  weekly in paid employment or work activities or community  service  when
   35  paid employment is not available.
   36    S 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
   37  it  shall have become a law; provided, however, that the commissioner of
   38  temporary  and  disability  assistance  is  immediately  authorized  and
   39  directed  to  promulgate,  amend and/or repeal any rules and regulations
   40  that may be necessary to implement the provisions of  this  act  on  its
   41  effective date.
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