A 1065: Provides that before a person may receive public assistance benefits, they must submit to and pass a drug test; requires health care professionals, law enforcement agencies, and courts report certain instances of substance abuse to the commissioner of social services.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1065 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. ANGELINO, BRABENEC, K. BROWN, DeSTEFANO, DiPIE- TRO, LEMONDES, MANKTELOW, McDONOUGH, MORINELLO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Social Services AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to people receiving public assistance The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 131 of the social services law is amended by adding 2 a new subdivision 9-a to read as follows: 3 9-a. a. Upon determining that a person is eligible for any form or 4 category of public assistance and prior to making any distribution to 5 such person, the social services official shall require the person seek- 6 ing assistance to submit to a drug test. The commissioner of health 7 shall establish rules and regulations regarding the method of testing, 8 the frequency of testing, the substances for which to be tested, and 9 what constitutes failing such drug test. If a person fails the drug 10 test, they shall enroll in a drug rehabilitation program certified by 11 the commissioner of health. Such person shall not be eligible to receive 12 any assistance under this chapter if they fail to enroll and actively 13 participate in the rehabilitation program. 14 b. Any health care professional, law enforcement agency or court shall 15 report substance abuse information of persons eligible for any form or 16 category of public assistance to the commissioner. The commissioner 17 shall launch an investigation into and withhold public assistance from 18 any person reported under this paragraph and have such person placed 19 into a substance abuse rehabilitation facility or another program to end 20 the drug abuse. 21 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 22 it shall have become a law. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02668-01-5