Bill Text: NY S02150 | 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 5-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2016-06-09 - referred to social services [S02150 Detail]
Download: New_York-2015-S02150-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
2150
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
January 21, 2015
___________
Introduced by Sens. CARLUCCI, KLEIN, AVELLA, SAVINO, VALESKY -- 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 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
S. 2150 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.
