95-A - State food stamp outreach program. - New York Statutes

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