New York State Assembly

 
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A09369 Summary:

A09369 Actions:

A09369 Committee Votes:

Committee:AGING   Chair:Kim      
DATE:05/14/2024AYE/NAY:28/0  Action: Favorable refer to committee Ways and Means        
Kim
Aye
Brook-Krasny
Aye
Ramos
Aye
Smith
Aye
Dickens
Absent
DeStefano
Aye
Stern
Aye
Gallahan
Aye
Reyes
Aye
Bendett
Aye
Fall
Aye
Chang
Aye
Clark
Aye
Gray
Aye
Rajkumar
Aye
Novakhov
Absent
Forrest
Aye
Pirozzolo
Aye
Zinerman
Aye
Mamdani
Aye
Tapia
Aye
Gibbs
Aye
Lucas
Aye
Conrad
Aye
Alvarez
Aye
Eachus
Aye
Zaccaro
Aye
Shrestha
Aye
Berger
Aye
Raga
Aye

Committee:WAYS AND MEANS   Chair:Weinstein      
DATE:05/20/2024AYE/NAY:34/0  Action: Favorable refer to committee Rules        
Weinstein
Aye
Ra
Aye
Glick
Aye
Fitzpatrick
Excused
Pretlow
Aye
Hawley
Aye
Colton
Aye
Blankenbush
Aye
Cook
Aye
Norris
Aye
Aubry
Aye
Brabenec
Aye
Benedetto
Aye
Palmesano
Aye
Weprin
Aye
Walsh
Aye
Ramos
Aye
DeStefano
Aye
Braunstein
Aye
Manktelow
Aye
McDonald
Aye
Smullen
Aye
Rozic
Aye
Dinowitz
Aye
Magnarelli
Aye
Zebrowski
Aye
Bronson
Aye
Dilan
Aye
Seawright
Aye
Hyndman
Aye
Walker
Aye
Bichotte Hermel
Aye
Simon
Aye
Cruz
Aye
Fahy
Aye

Committee:RULES   Chair:Pretlow      
DATE:05/28/2024AYE/NAY:28/0  Action: Favorable         
Heastie
Excused
Barclay
Aye
Weinstein
Aye
Hawley
Aye
Pretlow
Aye
Giglio
Aye
Cook
Aye
Blankenbush
Aye
Glick
Aye
Norris
Aye
Aubry
Excused
Ra
Aye
Dinowitz
Aye
Brabenec
Aye
Colton
Aye
Palmesano
Aye
Magnarelli
Aye
Reilly
Aye
Paulin
Aye
Peoples-Stokes
Aye
Benedetto
Aye
Lavine
Aye
Lupardo
Aye
Zebrowski
Aye
Thiele
Aye
Braunstein
Aye
Dickens
Excused
Davila
Aye
Hyndman
Aye
Rozic
Aye
Bronson
Aye

A09369 Floor Votes:

A09369 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
 submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)



 
BILL NUMBER: A9369A
 
SPONSOR: McDonald

 
TITLE OF BILL:
 
An act to amend the elder law, in relation to the automatic identifica-
tion and enrollment of elderly pharmaceutical insurance coverage program
enrollees in the home energy assistance program
 
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
 
The purpose of this bill is to data match the Home Energy Assistance
Program (HEAP) with the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage
Program (EPIC).
 
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
 
Section one amends the elder law to add a new section 245 to provide for
the automated identification of EPIC participants for HEAP.
 
Section two establishes the effective date.
 
 
JUSTIFICATION:
 
The implementation of a file-matching strategy aligning the Home Energy
Assistance Program (HEAP) with the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance
Coverage Program (EPIC) is a crucial step in addressing New York's
senior energy affordability challenge.
 
In the spring of 2019, the New York State Energy Research & Development
Authority (NYSERDA) released a report by Columbia University entitled
Increasing Senior Participation in New York's Home Energy Assistance
Program. A key finding of the report is that "while one million senior
households in New York were eligible for HEAP in 2017, under 400 thou-
sand (or 39%) participated in the program." The report noted that "the
gap indicates that vulnerable senior households are underserved by the
program, and because eligibility and enrollment in HEAP can lead to
enrollment in other energy efficiency and assistance programs, it is
likely that seniors are underserved by these programs as well."
 
The report underscored the gap between HEAP participation by income-eli-
gible older households and the number of eligible households with older
members statewide. The proposed file-matching approach utilizing the
EPIC database serves as a targeted solution to automatically enroll
eligible seniors into HEAP, thereby improving participation rates.
 
Unaffordable energy rates undoubtably can compel many of these house-
holds to make challenging household budget decisions. The proposed file-
matching approach not only addresses the immediate concerns of seniors'
struggling with energy costs but also provides a lifeline to those
facing difficult trade-offs.
 
By leveraging the EPIC database, which already identifies low-to-modera-
teincome seniors, New York can streamline the HEAP enrollment process.
This approach not only reduces administrative costs but also ensures
that vulnerable senior households, who are currently underserved,
receive the necessary financial assistance for heating costs. The
streamlined process would enable the state to tap into a previously
untapped pool of potential HEAP recipients, significantly increasing the
program's reach and impact. Close to two-thirds of EPIC enrollees could
be eligible for HEAP benefits.
 
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
 
2024: A.9369 referred to aging
 
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
 
To be determined.
 
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law.

A09369 Text:

 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                         9369--A
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                      March 6, 2024
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M.  of A. McDONALD, LUNSFORD, SEAWRIGHT, GUNTHER, CLARK,
          BURDICK, HEVESI, K. BROWN, DICKENS -- read once and  referred  to  the
          Committee  on  Aging  --  committee  discharged, bill amended, ordered
          reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
        AN ACT to amend the elder law, in relation to the automatic  identifica-
          tion  and  enrollment  of  elderly  pharmaceutical  insurance coverage
          program enrollees in the 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.  The  elder  law is amended by adding a new section 245 to
     2  read as follows:
     3    § 245. Automated identification of program participants.  1.  For  the
     4  purposes  of  this section, the following terms shall have the following
     5  meanings:
     6    (a) "Office" shall mean the state office of temporary  and  disability
     7  assistance.
     8    (b)  "Home  energy  assistance program" shall mean the low-income home
     9  energy assistance program implemented pursuant to  section  ninety-seven
    10  of the social services law.
    11    2.  The  department  of health shall update the elderly pharmaceutical
    12  insurance coverage program application to allow program participants  to
    13  consent,  in a manner that is separate and apart from other requests for
    14  consent contained in the application, to the exchange  of  such  partic-
    15  ipant's  information  to verify such enrollee's eligibility for the home
    16  energy assistance program.  Upon receipt of such consent, the department
    17  of taxation and finance shall confirm such participant's income  at  the
    18  time of enrollment.
    19    3. The department of health shall coordinate with the office to facil-
    20  itate  the  secure  transmission  of  data through an interface with the
    21  office's information technology infrastructure.
    22    4. No less than once per  month,  the  office,  upon  receipt  of  the
    23  required  data elements from the department of health and the department
    24  of taxation and finance, as  such  data  elements  are  defined  by  the
    25  office,  shall conduct automated file matching to identify elderly phar-
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14704-02-4
        A. 9369--A                          2
 
     1  maceutical insurance coverage program participants who are eligible  for
     2  the  home  energy assistance program.  Within sixty days of receipt that
     3  an  elderly  pharmaceutical  insurance  coverage  program  participant's
     4  eligibility  for  the  home  energy assistance program is confirmed, the
     5  office shall  enroll  such  elderly  pharmaceutical  insurance  coverage
     6  program participant in the home energy assistance program.
     7    5.  Upon  automatic  enrollment in the home energy assistance program,
     8  the department of health  shall  provide  written  notification  to  the
     9  elderly  pharmaceutical  insurance coverage program participant of their
    10  enrollment in such program and shall provide information  regarding  the
    11  program's benefits.
    12    6.  The  office,  in  consultation  with  the department of health, is
    13  authorized to promulgate any rules and regulations  necessary  to  carry
    14  out the provisions of this section.
    15    § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    16  it  shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
    17  ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
    18  tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be  made  and
    19  completed on or before such effective date.

A09369 LFIN:

 
NO LFIN

A09369 Chamber Video/Transcript: