Int. No. 615-A

By Council Members DeBlasio, Baez, Barron, Brewer, Clarke, Fidler, Foster, Gennaro, Gerson, Gonzalez, James, Koppell, Martinez, Palma, Perkins, Reed, Sanders Jr., Stewart, Vann, Liu, Arroyo, Gioia, Quinn, Weprin, Jackson and The Public Advocate (Ms. Gotbaum)

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to increasing the number of eligible New Yorkers enrolled in the federal food stamp program.

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 hereby amended by adding a new section 21-132 to read as follows:

§ 21-132.   Handling of applications for the food stamp program.

a.  Submission of applications by facsimile.  Within one year of the effective date of the local law that added this section, the commissioner shall develop and maintain a procedure that enables applicants for the federal food stamp program to submit applications by facsimile. 

b.  Waiver of face-to-face interviews.  The commissioner shall maintain a procedure for waiving a face-to-face interview for applicants for food stamps for whom the requirement constitutes a hardship, including but not limited to illness, transportation difficulties, care of a household member, or work or training hours which prevent the applicant from participating in an in-office interview.  Within 180 days of the effective date of the local law that added this section, a description of the circumstances under which a face-to-face interview can be waived shall be included in any information developed and circulated by or on behalf of the department that describes the food stamp program.  

c.  Receipt.  Upon written or oral application to the department for food stamps an applicant shall immediately be provided with a receipt, which shall be in the form of a checklist and shall include, at a minimum, the date of the application, a description of the information received, and an indication as to whether any application for such benefits and services is complete or incomplete, and if incomplete, such receipt shall identify any information or documents needed in order for the application to be deemed complete.

d.   Ensuring accuracy of public information regarding location and office hours of food stamp offices.  The department shall regularly review all information available to the public on the department’s website or any other website maintained by or on behalf of the city of New York; any printed materials developed and circulated by or on behalf of the department or the city of New York; and any information provided by 311 or any hotline operated by or on behalf of the department, that describes the locations and office hours of all food stamp offices in new york city and update such information as necessary to maintain accuracy.  At a minimum, the department shall review all such information on a monthly basis.

e.  Approvals.  To the extent that the requirements set forth in this section are subject to the approval of the state office of temporary and disability assistance or the united states department of agriculture or any other state or federal agency, the commissioner shall request such permission within 90 days of the effective date of the local law that added this section.

§2. This local law shall take effect ninety days after its enactment.

J.D.S.

L.S. 2637

6/14/05 • 5:35 p.m.