A 4601: Relates to clarifying the definitions of vocational educational training and educational activities.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4601 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY February 4, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. DAVILA -- read once and referred to the Committee on Social Services AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to clarifying the definitions of vocational educational training and educational activ- ities The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 336-a of the social services law, 2 as amended by section 1 of part X of chapter 56 of the laws of 2023, is 3 amended to read as follows: 4 1. Social services districts shall make available vocational educa- 5 tional training and educational activities. Such activities [may] shall 6 include but need not be limited to, high school education or education 7 designed to prepare a participant for a high school equivalency certif- 8 icate, basic and remedial education, education in English proficiency, 9 education or a course of instruction in financial literacy and personal 10 finance that includes instruction on household cash management tech- 11 niques, career advice to obtain a well paying and secure job, using 12 checking and savings accounts, obtaining and utilizing short and long 13 term credit, securing a loan or other long term financing arrangement 14 for high cost items, participation in a higher education course of 15 instruction or trade school, and no more than a total of four years of 16 post-secondary education (or the part-time equivalent). Educational 17 activities pursuant to this section may be offered with any of the 18 following providers which meet the performance or assessment standards 19 established in regulations by the commissioner for such providers: a 20 community college, licensed trade school, registered business school, or 21 a two-year or four-year college; provided, however, that such post-sec- 22 ondary education must be necessary to the attainment of the partic- 23 ipant's individual employment goal as set forth in the employability 24 plan and such goal must relate directly to obtaining useful employment. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD07153-01-5 
 A. 4601 2 1 When making an assignment to any educational activity pursuant to this 2 subdivision, such assignment shall be permitted only to the extent that 3 such assignment is consistent with the individual's assessment and 4 employment plan goals in accordance with sections three hundred thirty- 5 five and three hundred thirty-five-a of this title and shall require 6 that the individual maintains satisfactory academic progress and hourly 7 participation is documented consistent with federal and state require- 8 ments. For purposes of this provision "satisfactory academic progress" 9 shall mean having a cumulative C average, or its equivalent, as deter- 10 mined by the academic institution. The requirement to maintain satisfac- 11 tory academic progress may be waived if done so by the academic institu- 12 tion and the social services district based on undue hardship caused by 13 an event such as a personal injury or illness of the student, the death 14 of a relative of the student or other extenuating circumstances. Partic- 15 ipation in an educational and/or vocational training program, that shall 16 include, but not be limited to, a two-year post-secondary degree 17 program, which is necessary for the participant to attain their individ- 18 ual employment goal and is likely to lead to a degree or certification 19 and sustained employment, shall be approved consistent with such indi- 20 vidual's assessment and employability plan to the extent that such 21 approval does not jeopardize the state's ability to comply with federal 22 work participation rates, as determined by the office of temporary and 23 disability assistance. 24 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.