NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A2188
SPONSOR: Simon TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to training and
education for sustainable wage jobs and traditional and nontraditional
employment in public assistance employment programs
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS::
Section 1 defines "nontraditional employment" and "sustainable wage."
Section 2 requires that local social services district plans for public
assistance employment programs emphasize training for sustainable wage
jobs and promote understanding of nontraditional employment opportu-
nities for participants.
Section 3 requires that participant orientations include information on
education and training for sustainable wage jobs and nontraditional
employment opportunities available under the local plan.
Sections 4 and 5 require participant employability plans to take into
account the potential for available employment that pays a sustainable
wage such as apprentice-able, technical and professional occupations and
nontraditional employment.
JUSTIFICATION::
In the rush to reduce welfare rolls under federal welfare reform, many
welfare recipients have been placed in low-paying jobs. In particular,
initial studies of women moving from welfare to work indicate that the
vast majority of women move into jobs that do not lift them and their
children out of poverty. These jobs are typically in industries, such as
food service and home health care, which are traditionally populated by
women workers.
A 2001 study of job training for low-income people, particularly women
leaving welfare, found a clear pattern of gender segregation in job
training referral and placements. Programs training for jobs as bank
teller and nail technician had 100% female enrollment, while programs
training for higher paying jobs such as appliance technician and automo-
tive technician had overwhelming male enrollments.
Overall, women comprise 251. or less of total workers in many fields,
such as skilled trade occupations carpenter, electrician, millwright,
plumber, sheet metal worker; technical jobs drafter, rigger, computer
technician; service jobs - taxi driver, furniture mover and truck driv-
er; public service jobs, such as firefighter, police officer and ambu-
lance driver and professions chemist, aerospace engineer, and city
manager.
Nontraditional employment can help women achieve economic independence:
nontraditional jobs offer women wages paying 201 to 30% more on average
than traditionally female occupations, as well as good benefits and
opportunities for advancement.
As welfare reform continues, increased emphasis needs to be placed on
services that will move participants into sustainable wage jobs to
permanently lift families out of poverty, and prevent them from cycling
in and out of dependence on public assistance. This becomes especially
critical as the 60 month lifetime limit for federally-funded public
assistance is reached. For women in particular, a crucial but underuti-
lized route to a sustainable wage job is through nontraditional employ-
ment. The provisions of this bill will ensure that local social services
districts increase their emphasis on counseling, education and training
for nontraditional employment and sustainable wage jobs.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY::
2023-24: A7203 Simon -referred tosocial services
2021-22: A2173 Simon-social services
2020-19: A.1867 Simon -referred to ways and means
2018-17: A.1346 Simon -referred to social services
2016-15: A.8574 Simon -referred to social services
2014-13: A.1785 Millman- Enacting Clause Stricken
2007: A.3366/S.3201 Veto 94.
2008: A.9197-A/S.6256-A.
2009/2010: S.2098-A, Died in Committee;
2011-2012: S.72 Referred to and died in Social Services in Committee;
2013-2014: S.1290 Referred to and died in Social Services Committee
EFFECTIVE DATE::
This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it
shall have become a law, and shall apply to employability plans made or
updated on or after such effective date
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2188
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 15, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SIMON, REYES -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Social Services
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to training and
education for sustainable wage jobs and traditional and nontraditional
employment in public assistance employment programs
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 330 of the social services law, as
2 amended by section 148 of part B of chapter 436 of the laws of 1997,
3 paragraphs a and b as amended by section 2 of part C of chapter 57 of
4 the laws of 2005, is amended to read as follows:
5 1. Whenever used in this title:
6 a. the term "commissioner" means the commissioner of the state office
7 of temporary and disability assistance; [and]
8 b. the term "department" means the state office of temporary and disa-
9 bility assistance;
10 c. the term "nontraditional employment" means occupations or fields
11 of work, including careers in the skilled trades, or computer science,
12 technology and other emerging high skill occupations, for which any one
13 gender comprises less than twenty-five percent of the individuals
14 employed in each such occupation or field of work according to federal
15 department of labor statistics; and
16 d. the term "sustainable wage" means a wage that is at least one
17 hundred eighty-five percent of the poverty line and that is adjusted for
18 regional factors.
19 § 2. The second undesignated paragraph of section 333 of the social
20 services law, as amended by section 148 of part B of chapter 436 of the
21 laws of 1997, is amended to read as follows:
22 Such plan shall be developed in cooperation and coordination with
23 public and private education institutions, child care providers, child
24 care resource and referral agencies if available in the district, labor
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04772-01-5
A. 2188 2
1 unions, libraries, public and private employers, employment and training
2 agencies and organizations, and private industry councils established in
3 service delivery areas defined in subdivision five of section nine
4 hundred seventy-one of the executive law. Such plan shall strongly
5 consider, for individuals who have obtained a high school diploma or a
6 general equivalency diploma (GED), training for sustainable wage jobs
7 and promote nontraditional employment opportunities for such partic-
8 ipants; provided that any individual's preparation for employment shall
9 be consistent with federal and state work participation requirements.
10 § 3. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 334 of the social
11 services law, as amended by section 148 of part B of chapter 436 of the
12 laws of 1997, is amended to read as follows:
13 (a) education, employment and training opportunities available under
14 the local plan, including: (i) education and training for sustainable
15 wage jobs and nontraditional employment opportunities; and (ii) educa-
16 tional and training opportunities available at no cost to the partic-
17 ipant as well as the responsibilities associated with the repayment of
18 student financial aid;
19 § 4. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 335 of the social
20 services law, as amended by section 148 of part B of chapter 436 of the
21 laws of 1997, is amended to read as follows:
22 (a) Based on the assessment required by subdivision one of this
23 section, the social services official, in consultation with the partic-
24 ipant, shall develop an employability plan in writing which shall set
25 forth the services that will be provided by the social services offi-
26 cial, including but not limited to child care and other services and the
27 activities in which the participant will take part, including child care
28 and other services and shall set forth an employment goal for the
29 participant. To the extent possible, the employability plan shall
30 reflect the preferences of the participant in a manner that is consist-
31 ent with the results of the participant's assessment and the need of the
32 social services district to meet federal and state work activity partic-
33 ipation requirements, and, if such preferences cannot be accommodated,
34 the reasons shall be specified in the employability plan. The employa-
35 bility plan shall also take into account the participant's supportive
36 services needs, available program resources, local employment opportu-
37 nities, and shall strongly consider, for individuals who have obtained a
38 high school diploma or a general equivalency diploma (GED), the poten-
39 tial for available employment that pays a sustainable wage; provided
40 that any individual's preparation for employment shall be consistent
41 with federal and state work participation requirements; and where the
42 social services official is considering an educational activity assign-
43 ment for such participant, the participant's liability for student
44 loans, grants and scholarship awards. The employability plan shall be
45 explained to the participant. Any change to the participant's employa-
46 bility plan required by the social services official shall be discussed
47 with the participant and shall be documented in writing.
48 § 5. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 335-a of the social
49 services law, as amended by section 1 of part J of chapter 58 of the
50 laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
51 (a) Based on the assessment required by subdivision one of this
52 section, the social services official, in consultation with the partic-
53 ipant, shall develop an employability plan in writing which shall set
54 forth the services that will be provided by the social services official
55 and the activities in which the participant will take part, including
56 supportive services and shall set forth an employment goal for the
A. 2188 3
1 participant. To the extent possible, the employability plan shall
2 reflect the preferences of the participant in a manner that is consist-
3 ent with the results of the participant's assessment and the need of the
4 social services district to meet federal and state work activity partic-
5 ipation requirements, and, if such preferences cannot be accommodated,
6 the reasons shall be specified in the employability plan. The employa-
7 bility plan also shall take into account the participant's supportive
8 services needs, available program resources, local employment opportu-
9 nities, and shall strongly consider, for individuals who have obtained a
10 high school diploma or a general equivalency diploma (GED), the poten-
11 tial for available employment that pays a sustainable wage; provided
12 that any individual's preparation for employment shall be consistent
13 with federal and state work participation requirements; and where the
14 social services official is considering an educational activity assign-
15 ment for such participant, the participant's liability for student
16 loans, grants and scholarship awards. The employability plan shall be
17 explained to the participant. Any change to the participant's employa-
18 bility plan required by the social services official shall be discussed
19 with the participant and shall be documented in writing.
20 § 6. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
21 it shall have become a law, and shall apply to employability plans made
22 or updated on and after such effective date.
