Bill Text: NY A02061 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Relates to eliminating asset limits in calculating the amount of benefits for any household under any public assistance program.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-15 - referred to social services [A02061 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-A02061-Introduced.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          2061

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 15, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of A. GONZALEZ-ROJAS, BURDICK, FORREST, KIM, SIMONE,
          RAGA, FALL, SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Social
          Services

        AN ACT to amend the social services  law,  in  relation  to  eliminating
          asset  limits  in calculating the amount of benefits for any household
          under any public assistance program

          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-n of the social services law,
     2  as amended by section 5 of part U of chapter 56 of the laws of 2022,  is
     3  amended to read as follows:
     4    1.  [The  following resources]  All assets held by the household shall
     5  be exempt and disregarded in calculating the amount of benefits  of  any
     6  household  under  any public assistance program[: (a) cash and liquid or
     7  nonliquid resources up to two thousand five hundred dollars  for  appli-
     8  cants,  three  thousand  seven  hundred  fifty dollars for applicants in
     9  households in which any member is sixty years of  age  or  older  or  is
    10  disabled  or  ten  thousand  dollars for recipients, (b) an amount up to
    11  four thousand six hundred fifty  dollars  in  a  separate  bank  account
    12  established  by  an  individual while currently in receipt of assistance
    13  for the sole purpose of enabling the individual to purchase a  first  or
    14  replacement  vehicle  for  the  recipient  to  seek,  obtain or maintain
    15  employment, so long as the funds are not used for any other purpose, (c)
    16  an amount up to one thousand four hundred dollars  in  a  separate  bank
    17  account  established  by  an  individual  while  currently in receipt of
    18  assistance for the purpose of paying tuition at a two-year or  four-year
    19  accredited  post-secondary educational institution, so long as the funds
    20  are not used for any other purpose, (d) the  home  which  is  the  usual
    21  residence  of  the  household,  (e)  one  automobile, up to ten thousand
    22  dollars fair market value,  through  March  thirty-first,  two  thousand
    23  seventeen;  one  automobile,  up  to eleven thousand dollars fair market

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03331-01-5
        A. 2061                             2

     1  value, from April first, two thousand seventeen  through  March  thirty-
     2  first,  two thousand eighteen; and one automobile, up to twelve thousand
     3  dollars fair market value, beginning April first, two thousand  eighteen
     4  and  thereafter,  or  such other higher dollar value as the local social
     5  services district may elect to adopt, (f) one burial plot per  household
     6  member  as  defined  in  department  regulations,  (g) bona fide funeral
     7  agreements up to a total of one thousand five hundred dollars in  equity
     8  value  per  household  member,  (h)  funds  in an individual development
     9  account established in accordance with subdivision five of section three
    10  hundred fifty-eight of this chapter and section four  hundred  three  of
    11  the  social  security act, (i) for a period of six months, real property
    12  which the household is making a good faith effort to sell, in accordance
    13  with department regulations and tangible personal property necessary for
    14  business or for employment purposes in accordance with department  regu-
    15  lations, and (j) funds in a qualified tuition program that satisfies the
    16  requirement  of  section  529  of  the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
    17  amended, and (k) funds in a New York achieving a better life  experience
    18  savings  account  established  in accordance with article eighty-four of
    19  the mental hygiene law].
    20    If federal law or regulations require the exemption  or  disregard  of
    21  additional  income  and resources in determining need for family assist-
    22  ance, or medical assistance not exempted or disregarded pursuant to  any
    23  other  provision  of  this  chapter,  the department may, by regulations
    24  subject to the approval of the director of the  budget,  require  social
    25  services  officials  to  exempt  or disregard such income and resources.
    26  Refunds resulting from earned income tax credits shall be disregarded in
    27  public assistance programs.
    28    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately; provided,  however,  that
    29  the  amendments  to  section  131-n  of  the social services law made by
    30  section one of this act shall not affect the expiration of such  section
    31  and shall be deemed to expire therewith.