Requires notice to unemployment applicants of the supplemental nutrition assistance program and special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children (WIC).
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1245A
SPONSOR: Rosenthal L PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To provide individuals filing a claim for unemployment insurance bene-
fits with information on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 would amend the Section 540 of the Labor Law to provide a
technical change, replacing the term "food stamp" with "supplemental
nutrition assistance program" in relation to information provided to
individuals filing a claim for unemployment insurance. The bill would
add the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and
Children (WIC) to the programs about which individuals receive informa-
tion when filing a claim for unemployment insurance.
Section 2 would set the effective date.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):
The changes made remove the provisions relating to the establishment of
an outreach program and distribution of informational materials for the
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.
JUSTIFICATION:
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Chil-
dren (WIC) provides support to many low-income women, children and
infants through food assistance, nutrition education and assistance in
accessing health care and other services. The program is available to
families whose income is at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty
level, as well as others enrolled in TANF, SNAP or Medicaid. Since its
inception, the WIC program has helped to reduce premature births, low
and very low birth-weight babies, fetal and infant deaths and incidents
of low-iron anemia.
Despite being one of the nation's most successful and cost-effective
nutrition programs, many New Yorkers who may qualify remain unaware of
the program or are unsure of how to apply for benefits. An applicant for
unemployment benefits receives information about the Supplemental Nutri-
tion Assistance Program, previously known as food stamps, but not about
the WIC program, which provides additional benefits and resources not
covered by SNAP. This bill would ensure that applicants for unemployment
insurance would receive beneficial information on potential eligibility
for the WIC program.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-22: A.9661 - Referred to Labor; S.9065 - Referred to Labor
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This bill would take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it
shall have become law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1245--A
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 13, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Labor -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to providing notice to unem-
ployment applicants of the supplemental nutrition assistance program
and special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and
children
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 540 of the labor law, as amended by chapter 251 of
2 the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
3 § 540. Information about [food stamp utility, and rental and mortgage]
4 assistance programs. The commissioner shall establish procedures whereby
5 each person who files a claim for unemployment insurance pursuant to
6 section five hundred ninety-six of this article, shall receive informa-
7 tion about the [food stamp] supplemental nutrition assistance program
8 provided by the office of temporary and disability assistance pursuant
9 to subdivision six of section ninety-five-a of the social services law,
10 the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and chil-
11 dren provided by the department of health under section twenty-five
12 hundred seven of the public health law, and the utility assistance and
13 rental and mortgage assistance programs available through the division
14 of housing and community renewal and the office of temporary and disa-
15 bility assistance. The commissioner shall also provide information about
16 such programs on the department's website. Such information shall be
17 prominently displayed and easily accessible by individuals filing a
18 claim or certifying for unemployment benefits.
19 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
20 it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04244-06-3
