Pursuant to State Administrative Procedure Act (SAPA) § 202-d, the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) is required to publish a regulatory agenda for those regulations that it is considering for publication in the New York State Register. Set forth below is an agenda for 2017. SAPA § 202-d does not preclude OTDA from proposing for adoption a regulation that is not described in the agenda, nor does it require OTDA to propose for adoption a regulation that is described in the agenda.

All references are to Title 18 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations (NYCRR) unless otherwise noted. The agenda items are organized pursuant to the Part of Title 18 NYCRR that most likely would be amended. However, the agenda items eventually could require amendments to different Parts than those listed below and/or to more than one Part of Title 18 NYCRR.

Part 301 – Veteran Assistance

Amend regulations to replace gender-specific terms with gender-neutral terms.

Part 311 – Change of Residence

Amend regulations to repeal certain residency requirements to reflect current policies and practices.

Part 340 – Public Access to Department Records under the Freedom of Information Law

Update regulations concerning public access to records under the Freedom of Information Law to reflect the current organization of the Department of Family Assistance.

Part 346 – Support Collection

Establish guidelines for the local child support enforcement units to follow in determining whether and under what circumstances a passport, which has been denied, revoked, or restricted by the United States (U.S.) Department of State due to non-payment of child support, may be released.*

Update regulations to allow for reporting increases in the amount subject to administrative enforcement in certified cases.

Part 347 – Establishment of Paternity and Enforcement of Child Support

Repeal the regulatory provision setting forth the child support standards chart.*

Update regulation pertaining to the establishment and modification of child support orders.*

Revise regulations concerning the provision of child support services in intergovernmental cases.

Part 349 – General Provisions

Update provisions regarding persons who are permanently residing in the United States under the color of law (PRUCOL).*

Part 351 – Investigation and Eligibility

Clarify provisions concerning the submission of a social security number as a condition of eligibility for public assistance.*

Part 352 – Standards of Assistance

Amend regulations to make technical updates to Part 352, including updating references to “aid to dependent children” and “home relief” with “family assistance” and “safety net assistance” respectively.

Amend regulations to implement changes to public assistance lien policy consistent with SSL § 106 to require local social services districts to: obtain a signed acknowledgment form from an applicant/recipient real property owner prior to taking a real property lien; and provide the real property owner with a biennial accounting of assistance and recoveries used in determining the amount of an outstanding real property lien.*

Amend regulations to update and clarify standards pertaining to hotels and motels used as placements for recipients of temporary housing assistance.

Part 358 – Fair Hearings

Amend the definition of the fair hearing record as it pertains to decisions without a hearing.*

Update regulations to clarify that the term “hearing officer” may be used interchangeably with the term “administrative law judge.”

Update regulations to conform with federal requirements regarding adjournments of fair hearings related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).*

Part 359 – Disqualification for Intentional Program Violation

Revise regulation to clarify that disqualification consent agreements are reviewable at a fair hearing to ensure compliance with procedural requirements.*

Part 369 – Family Assistance

Amend regulation to address applications for or receipt of public assistance as an assignment to the State and the social services district of rights to support.

Part 381 – Method of Payment

Amend regulations to clarify the issuance of benefits through restricted payments under all public assistance category types.*

Part 385 – Public Assistance and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment Program Requirements

Amend the title and the regulations of Part 385 to make technical updates, including updating references from “food stamp” to “SNAP.”

Clarify that support services may be provided to individuals assigned to work activities by the social services district.*

Revise assessment regulations to clarify that the requirements for exempt individuals in households without dependent children to comply with an assessment are consistent with those for exempt individuals in households with dependent children.*

Amend employment program provisions for notices of conciliation and notices of discontinuance or reduction as a result of an employment sanction to incorporate plain language requirements.*

Establish additional guidelines regarding work activity definitions and work documentation and verification procedures to make them consistent with standards required by federal regulations.*

Implement changes to participation rate regulations to conform to amendments to the SSL which require social services districts to expand the countable work activities available to safety net assistance participants without children to include community service programs, the provision of child care services to an individual participating in community service and time limited vocational education training, job search and job readiness assistance.*

Revise regulations for employment requirements to comply with final federal regulations.*

Revise SNAP employment and training regulations to conform to federal regulations.*

Identify cases that may be excluded from participation rates pursuant to federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) regulations.*

Repeal provisions which permit foster care parents and individuals who are caring for a disabled household member to be deemed as community service participants as required by federal regulations.

Authorize shift of certain cases to non-TANF family assistance or to non-Maintenance of Effort (non-MOE) safety net assistance to facilitate implementation of changes as required by federal regulations.*

Revise regulations to implement changes to conciliation and employment sanctions procedures pursuant to Social Services Law § § 341-a and 342-a.

Part 387 – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Amend regulations to make technical updates to Part 387.

Revise regulations to raise the level of the minimum annual Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) or other energy assistance benefit required to confer eligibility for the SNAP Heating and Cooling Standard Utility Allowance (HCSUA) from $1.00 to $21.00.*

Update regulations to reflect the current policy that standard allowances for heating/air conditioning, utility and telephone costs are used in calculating shelter expenses for SNAP.*

Update regulations to reflect the current policy that households in shared living arrangements are entitled to the full applicable level of the standard utility allowance.*

Revise SNAP regulations concerning the special definition of the “head of the household.”*

Delete SNAP monthly reporting/retrospective budgeting references and add provisions for change reporting.*

Conform regulations concerning in-office interviews for SNAP applicants to federal requirements.*

Generally update SNAP regulations to conform to changes in federal regulations and law.*

Amend regulations to reflect expanded categorical eligibility for SNAP.*

Amend regulations regarding what is a complete periodic report to require verification of income only if a change in income has been reported.*

Part 393 – Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)

Amend HEAP regulations to reflect current practices and the provisions of the federally accepted HEAP State Plan, including the confidentiality requirements contained therein.*

Amend regulations to articulate rules for protection of HEAP data and data sharing.

Part 491 – Shelters for Adults

Amend regulations to expand scope to include shelters for adults that currently are not certified by OTDA and to update and clarify applicable standards.

Part 800 - Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP)

Amend regulations regarding the conflict of interest rules for HHAP to address all ownership entities involved in HHAP projects. Revise and update certain definitions and terminology, clarify funding processes, and provide for the role of the Homeless Housing and Assistance Corporation Board as established in Private Housing Finance Law § 45-c.

Part 900 – Shelters for Families

Amend regulations to expand scope to include shelters for families that currently are not certified by OTDA and to update and clarify applicable standards.

It is not anticipated that small business regulation guides will need to be developed for the proposals set forth in this agenda.

*The asterisks identify rules for which a regulatory flexibility analysis or a rural area flexibility analysis may be required.

At this time, OTDA cannot specify the dates for publication in the New York State Register of the items listed above. OTDA would welcome comments related to this regulatory agenda at the address listed below, and each published Notice of Proposed Rule Making will provide a public comment period and a contact person to whom comments may be sent.

Any questions, comments, or requests for information concerning the items listed in this agenda may be referred to Richard P. Rhodes, Jr., Associate Attorney, New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, 40 North Pearl Street 16C, Albany, New York 12243. Telephone: (518) 486-7503. E-mail: [email protected]. The regulatory agenda may be accessed on OTDA's website at http://otda.ny.gov/legal/.