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Social Services Committee advances four bills to finance or first report; debate on 33% youth wage subsidy
Summary
The New York State Senate Social Services Committee on Feb. 4 advanced four bills — including a youth employment subsidy that would cover roughly one-third of a hire’s salary — with most measures sent to the Finance Committee for further review.
Senator Roxanne Persaud, presiding over the New York State Senate Social Services Committee, said the panel advanced four bills at its Feb. 4 meeting, sending three to the Finance Committee and moving one to first report.
The measures include a proposal to establish a full-year youth and young adult employment immersion program that would cover about one-third of participating hires’ salaries, a task force to study “fiscal cliffs” in public assistance programs, legislation to establish and automate the New York Healthy Incentive Program tied to SNAP, and a change to rules about unearned income of children.
The youth-employment measure, Senate Bill 184 by Persaud, received the most substantive discussion. Senator White voiced concern about the program’s wage subsidy, saying it could create an advantage for participants. "I just get a little bit worried when we put a financial incentive, like one third of the salary being picked up. Is it giving one group an advantage over another group?" White said. Persaud responded during the exchange that the program is not limited to a select group and that staff would respond to the concern.
Committee members moved and seconded the measures and advanced them by voice votes. Senate Bill 184 (youth and young adult employment immersion program) was moved by Senator White and seconded by Senator Murray and was reported to the Finance Committee. Senate Bill 244 (fiscal cliff task force), sponsored by Senator Brassad, was likewise moved by Senator White, seconded by Senator Murray, and reported to Finance. Senate Bill 1281, sponsored by Persaud and described as establishing the New York Healthy Incentive Program and automating SNAP processes with an associated outreach program, was placed on first report after a voice vote. Senate Bill 1757, dealing with any unearned income of a child in certain circumstances, was moved by Senator Felder, seconded by another senator, and reported to Finance; the transcript records Senator Murray expressing a negative vote on that item.
The meeting transcript records limited debate beyond the subsidy question for SB184; other items were discussed briefly and advanced for further review. Committee members encouraged colleagues to submit bills for committee consideration and closed the session after advancing the agenda.
Next steps for the measures are committee review in Finance (for SB184, SB244, SB1757) or placement on the Senate calendar following first report (SB1281). No dollar appropriations, implementation timelines, or detailed program design elements were specified in the committee discussion recorded in the transcript.
