STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          5030

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 27, 2023
                                       ___________

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

        AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to requiring social
          services districts to  automatically  re-enroll  eligible  persons  or
          households for the low-income home energy assistance program

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

     1    Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 97 of the social services law,  as
     2  added by chapter 785 of the laws of 1983, is amended to read as follows:
     3    2.  a.  Each social services district shall be required, in accordance
     4  with the state plan and  federal  regulations,  to  participate  in  the
     5  federal low-income home energy assistance program and to assist eligible
     6  households  found  in  such  districts  to obtain low-income home energy
     7  assistance. However, only those persons who qualify for low-income  home
     8  energy assistance in accordance with federal and state requirements, and
     9  standards  promulgated by the department, shall be certified as eligible
    10  for and entitled to receive said  home  energy  assistance.  No  person,
    11  however, shall be certified as eligible for and entitled to receive said
    12  home  energy  assistance  if  no  federal  funds  are available for such
    13  purpose.
    14    b. Each social services district shall every heating  season  automat-
    15  ically  re-enroll  persons  or  households who are receiving home energy
    16  assistance through the low-income home  energy  assistance  program,  so
    17  long  as  such  persons  or  households continue to meet the federal and
    18  state eligibility requirements  and  standards.  For  purposes  of  this
    19  section,  "heating  season" shall mean the time period designated by the
    20  office of temporary and disability assistance each year.
    21    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.


         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02801-01-3