§ 95-A — State food stamp outreach program

§ 95-a. State food stamp outreach program. 1. In accordance with\nfederal requirements and to the extent that federal matching funds are\navailable, the department shall develop and implement an outreach plan\nto inform low-income households potentially eligible to receive food\nstamps and to encourage the participation of eligible households that\nwish to participate.\n 2. In developing and implementing such a plan the department and/or\nits local districts are authorized and empowered, subject to the\napproval of the director of the budget and provided that federal aid is\navailable therefor, to enter into contractual agreements with public\nand/or private organizations to develop and implement local, regional,\nand statewide outreach programs.\n 3. Each commissioner of social services shall develop and submit to\nthe department on an annual basis for its approval, a local outreach\nplan governing the use of local social services personnel and services\nprovided by federally funded and other agencies and organizations to\ninform potentially eligible households of the availability and benefits\nof the program and to encourage and facilitate the participation of\neligible households. The department shall provide commissioners of\nsocial services with technical assistance as needed to carry out the\nprovisions of this subdivision.\n 4. As part of each local outreach plan, social services officials\nshall take all steps necessary to maintain a supply of information\nleaflets in public buildings, including but not limited to local\nunemployment insurance and employment services offices of the department\nof labor, institutions and facilities under the supervision or control\nof the department of health, food stores, union halls, community centers\nand local agencies providing services to the elderly to help insure that\neligible persons are informed of the food stamp program.\n 5. The department shall periodically distribute to all newspapers, and\nto television and radio stations throughout the state, public service\nannouncements describing the food stamp program, including the toll-free\ntelephone numbers for food stamp information, and shall promptly inform\nsuch media of significant changes in the program affecting eligibility\nrequirements and/or the amount of the food stamp bonus.\n 6. The department shall establish procedures in cooperation with the\nindustrial commissioner of the department of labor to ensure that\ninformational leaflets about the food stamp program are sent to each\nlocal employment services office for distribution pursuant to section\nfive hundred and forty of the labor law. Each leaflet shall include but\nnot be limited to: the phone number for the New York State food stamp\nhotline, estimated maximum income eligibility levels by household size\nfor participation in the food stamp program and the availability of\nlocal social services departments to provide additional information\nabout the program.\n 7. In accordance with applicable federal laws, rules and regulations\nthe department shall make available appropriate bilingual materials so\nthat potentially eligible non English speaking individuals may be\ninformed about the food stamp program.\n 8. The department shall promulgate rules and regulations, and take all\nother actions necessary for the effective implementation of this\nsection.\n