A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to supplemental nutrition assistance program enrollment and recertification for seniors

Int. No. 1519-A

By Council Members Koslowitz, The Speaker (Council Member Mark-Viverito), Chin, Levin, Salamanca, Gentile, Vacca, Vallone, Rosenthal, Dromm, Mendez, Rose, Deutsch, Kallos and Barron

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to supplemental nutrition assistance program enrollment and recertification for seniors

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Chapter 1 of title 21 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 21-131.1 to read as follows:

§ 21-131.1 Supplemental nutrition assistance program enrollment and recertification for seniors. a. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

Senior Center.  The term “senior center” has the same definition as set forth in section 21-201. 

Seniors.  The term “seniors” means individuals who are age 60 or older.

b. The department shall, in coordination with the department for the aging, design and implement a public campaign to increase the awareness of seniors and their caregivers of the benefits of the supplemental nutrition assistance program and to reduce any stigma associated with enrolling in or recertifying for such benefits. 

c. The department shall also, in coordination with the department for the aging, establish and implement an enrollment and recertification program to increase enrollment in and recertification for the supplemental nutrition assistance program, consistent with the requirements of state and federal law.  Such enrollment and recertification program shall ensure that programming is offered at each senior center to explain the benefits of the supplemental nutrition assistance program and to enable eligible seniors to enroll in or recertify for the supplemental nutrition assistance program at each senior center.

d. Beginning February 1, 2018, and annually thereafter, the department, in coordination with the department for the aging, shall submit a report to the speaker of the city council regarding the department’s activities with respect to supplemental nutrition assistance enrollment and recertification for seniors.  Such report shall provide an overview of the department’s activities with respect to supplemental nutrition assistance enrollment and recertification for seniors, including the public campaign and the enrollment and recertification program, and shall include (i) the number of seniors enrolled in the supplemental nutrition assistance program in the previous calendar year; (ii) the number of seniors recertified for the supplemental nutrition assistance program in the previous calendar year; and (iii) a comparison of the annual rate of enrollment for seniors versus the number of seniors in the city that the department estimates are likely to be eligible based on readily available community data such as census data.  Beginning on February 1, 2019, the report shall indicate how the data required by this subdivision compares to the previous year.  The report shall further indicate the method by which seniors enrolled in or recertified for the supplemental nutrition assistance program, whether online, by mobile application, by telephone, by paper application, or by other means. 

§ 2. This local law takes effect 120 days after it becomes law, except that the department of social services and the department for the aging may take all actions necessary for its implementation, including the promulgation of rules, prior to such effective date.

ARP/CCF

LS # 9724

7/12/2017 5:42 PM