Scarsdale – Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-88) is proud to announce that A.474-A/S.1170-A, legislation she authored, was signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday.

The legislation allows social services districts to offer recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) the option to complete a course in financial literacy and personal finance, with such instruction counting towards the 30-hour work activity requirement.

Additionally, the legislation authorizes social services districts to cooperate with the Department of Labor to provide workforce guidance and information regarding nontraditional careers for women to TANF recipients. This would help to encourage women to pursue and secure nontraditional careers, such as jobs in the trades, which pay above-average salaries.

The combination of promoting access to nontraditional careers and offering financial literacy courses will provide low-income women with the tools to attain greater economic security for themselves and their families.

"Encouraging women to pursue careers in higher-paying fields, that they may not have otherwise considered, can help these women to get out of poverty," Paulin said. "Similarly, the financial literacy course would provide helpful information for low-income women, particularly as they transition off TANF and into the workforce."