BILL NUMBER:A10961

TITLE  OF  BILL:    An  act  to amend chapter 534 of the laws of 2000,
amending the social services law relating to clarifying the definition
of work  activities  to  include  certain  work-study  and  internship
positions, in relation to making such provisions permanent

PURPOSE OF THE BILL:

This  bill  would  make  permanent those provisions of law which allow
certain public assistance recipients to participate in work-study  and
internship  positions  and  have  those  hours  of participation count
toward the recipient's work activity requirements.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill would eliminate the sunset date of  Chapter  534
of  the  Laws  of  2000 which has been extended for two years in 2002,
2004, 2006 and 2008.

Section 2 of the proposal would provide  for  an  immediate  effective
date.

EXISTING LAW:

Chapter  534  of the Laws of 2000 amended Social Services Law (SSL) ..
              

335-b (2) and 336-c (4) and added a new subdivision 8 to  SSL  §  336.
These  amendments  clarified  that participation in certain work-study
and internships positions shall be counted toward a  recipient's  work
activity  requirements,  and local social services districts must make
reasonable efforts to ensure that such  assignments  do  not  conflict
with the student's academic schedule.

Chapter  534  of  the  Laws of2000 was extended for two years in 2002,
2004, 2006, and 2008. The 2008 extension, in Chapter 121 of  the  Laws
of 2008, is currently set to expire on June 30,,2010.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

In 2008, an identical departmental bill,
 186,  was  introduced  as  A.10659/S.7428.  However, the bill was not
reported from the Assembly Social  Services  Committee  nor  from  the
Senate Social Services, Children and Families Committee.

STATEMENT IN SUPPORT:

Public  assistance  recipients have an obligation to meet certain work
participation requirements. Work-study and internship  positions  have
provided  many  individuals with the experience and the opportunity to
transition from assistance to  employment  through  a  combination  of
employment  activities  and education. Such activities should, in many
instances,  be  countable  toward  the  student's  work  participation
requirements,   and   local   social  services  districts  should  not
unreasonably assign work requirements that conflict with the student's
academic schedule,  if  an  approved  work  experience  assignment  is
available.


Chapter  534  of  the Laws of 2000 was originally enacted to determine
whether allowing certain  recipients  who  were  non-graduate  college
students   to   count  hours  of  participation  in  certain  approved
work-study  assignments,  internships,  externships  or   other   work
placements toward the satisfaction of their work activity requirements
would  further such individuals' educational progress and, ultimately,
help them transition to paid employment. Chapter 534 of  the  Laws  of
2000 was originally set to sunset on June 30, 2002, to allow the State
an  opportunity  to  assess  if  this  new  approach to students' work
activity requirements would be beneficial. Over the  past  ten  years,
the sunset date has been extended every two years.  The law has served
its  intended  purpose without any negative consequences to districts'
ability to meet work participation rates  or  recipients'  ability  to
improve   employment   opportunities   and   transition  to  full-time
employment.

BUDGET IMPLICATIONS:

This bill would have no fiscal impact.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This bill would take effect immediately.