Bill Text: NY A04601 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to clarifying the definitions of vocational educational training and educational activities.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-04 - referred to social services [A04601 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-A04601-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          4601

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 4, 2025
                                       ___________

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

        AN  ACT  to amend the social services law, in relation to clarifying the
          definitions of vocational educational training and educational  activ-
          ities

          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 336-a of the social services  law,
     2  as  amended by section 1 of part X of chapter 56 of the laws of 2023, is
     3  amended to read as follows:
     4    1. Social services districts shall make  available  vocational  educa-
     5  tional  training and educational activities. Such activities [may] shall
     6  include but need not be limited to, high school education  or  education
     7  designed  to prepare a participant for a high school equivalency certif-
     8  icate, basic and remedial education, education in  English  proficiency,
     9  education  or a course of instruction in financial literacy and personal
    10  finance that includes instruction on  household  cash  management  tech-
    11  niques,  career  advice  to  obtain  a well paying and secure job, using
    12  checking and savings accounts, obtaining and utilizing  short  and  long
    13  term  credit,  securing  a loan or other long term financing arrangement
    14  for high cost items, participation  in  a  higher  education  course  of
    15  instruction  or  trade school, and no more than a total of four years of
    16  post-secondary education (or the  part-time  equivalent).    Educational
    17  activities  pursuant  to  this  section  may  be offered with any of the
    18  following providers which meet the performance or  assessment  standards
    19  established  in  regulations  by  the commissioner for such providers: a
    20  community college, licensed trade school, registered business school, or
    21  a two-year or four-year college; provided, however, that such  post-sec-
    22  ondary  education  must  be  necessary  to the attainment of the partic-
    23  ipant's individual employment goal as set  forth  in  the  employability
    24  plan  and such goal must relate directly to obtaining useful employment.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07153-01-5
        A. 4601                             2

     1  When making an assignment to any educational activity pursuant  to  this
     2  subdivision,  such assignment shall be permitted only to the extent that
     3  such assignment is  consistent  with  the  individual's  assessment  and
     4  employment  plan goals in accordance with sections three hundred thirty-
     5  five and three hundred thirty-five-a of this  title  and  shall  require
     6  that  the individual maintains satisfactory academic progress and hourly
     7  participation is documented consistent with federal and  state  require-
     8  ments.  For  purposes of this provision "satisfactory academic progress"
     9  shall mean having a cumulative C average, or its equivalent,  as  deter-
    10  mined by the academic institution. The requirement to maintain satisfac-
    11  tory academic progress may be waived if done so by the academic institu-
    12  tion  and the social services district based on undue hardship caused by
    13  an event such as a personal injury or illness of the student, the  death
    14  of a relative of the student or other extenuating circumstances. Partic-
    15  ipation in an educational and/or vocational training program, that shall
    16  include,  but  not  be  limited  to,  a  two-year  post-secondary degree
    17  program, which is necessary for the participant to attain their individ-
    18  ual employment goal and is likely to lead to a degree  or  certification
    19  and  sustained  employment, shall be approved consistent with such indi-
    20  vidual's assessment and employability  plan  to  the  extent  that  such
    21  approval  does not jeopardize the state's ability to comply with federal
    22  work participation rates, as determined by the office of  temporary  and
    23  disability assistance.
    24    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.