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A01065 Summary:

BILL NOA01065
 
SAME ASNo Same As
 
SPONSORAngelino
 
COSPNSRBrabenec, Brown K, DeStefano, DiPietro, Lemondes, Manktelow, McDonough, Morinello, Chludzinski
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Amd §131, Soc Serv L
 
Provides that before a person may receive public assistance benefits, they must submit to and pass a drug test; requires health care professionals, law enforcement agencies, and courts report certain instances of substance abuse to the commissioner of social services.
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A01065 Actions:

BILL NOA01065
 
01/08/2025referred to social services
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A01065 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A1065
 
SPONSOR: Angelino
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the social services law, in relation to people receiving public assistance   PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: Provides that before a person may receive public assistance benefits, he or she must submit to and pass a drug test.   SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: Section 1. Section 131 of the social services law is amended by adding a new subdivision 9-a to read: Upon determining that a person is eligible for any form or category of public assistance and prior to making any distribution to such person, the social services official shall require the person seeking assistance to submit to a drug test. The commissioner of health shall establish rules and regulations regarding the method of testing, the frequency of testing, the substance for which to be tested, and what constitutes failing such drug test. If a person fails the drug test, he or she shall enroll in a drug rehabilitation program certified by the commissioner of health. Such person shall not be eligible to receive any assistance under this chapter if he or she fails to enroll and actively participate in the rehabilitation program. b. Any health care professional, law enforcement agency or court shall report substance abuse information of persons eligible for any form or category of public assistance to the commissioner. The commissioner shall launch an investigation into and withhold public assistance from any person reported under this paragraph and have such person placed into a substance abuse rehabilitation facility or another program to end the drug abuse.   JUSTIFICATION: New York State offers a variety of programs to financially assist low to poor income families with food stamps and other necessities needed to survive with little or no money. The assistance provided to them from our State has very strict rules and regulations they must follow in order to continue to receive such necessities. Too often individuals take advantage of our public assistance program and try to pocket or use their extra funds to purchase items they're not supposed to such as drugs. Before determining that a person is eligible for any form or category of public assistance, and prior to making any distribution to such person, the social services official shall require the person seek- ing assistance to submit to a drug test. And if he or she fails the drug test then they must be required to enroll in a drug rehabilitation program certified by the commissioner of health.   PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: New bill.   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS: To be determined.   EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall become a law.
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A01065 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          1065
 
                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                     January 8, 2025
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M. of A. ANGELINO, BRABENEC, K. BROWN, DeSTEFANO, DiPIE-
          TRO, LEMONDES,  MANKTELOW,  McDONOUGH,  MORINELLO  --  read  once  and
          referred to the Committee on Social Services
 
        AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to people receiving
          public assistance

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Section 131 of the social services law is amended by adding
     2  a new subdivision 9-a to read as follows:
     3    9-a. a. Upon determining that a person is eligible  for  any  form  or
     4  category  of  public  assistance and prior to making any distribution to
     5  such person, the social services official shall require the person seek-
     6  ing assistance to submit to a drug  test.  The  commissioner  of  health
     7  shall  establish  rules and regulations regarding the method of testing,
     8  the frequency of testing, the substances for which  to  be  tested,  and
     9  what  constitutes  failing  such  drug  test. If a person fails the drug
    10  test, they shall enroll in a drug rehabilitation  program  certified  by
    11  the commissioner of health. Such person shall not be eligible to receive
    12  any  assistance  under  this chapter if they fail to enroll and actively
    13  participate in the rehabilitation program.
    14    b. Any health care professional, law enforcement agency or court shall
    15  report substance abuse information of persons eligible for any  form  or
    16  category  of  public  assistance  to  the commissioner. The commissioner
    17  shall launch an investigation into and withhold public  assistance  from
    18  any  person  reported  under  this paragraph and have such person placed
    19  into a substance abuse rehabilitation facility or another program to end
    20  the drug abuse.
    21    § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    22  it shall have become a law.
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02668-01-5
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