N.Y. Social Services Law § 342-a: Noncompliance with the requirements of this title

§ 342-a. Noncompliance with the requirements of this title. 1. The

provisions of this section shall apply to persons who are residents of a

city having a population of one million or more people.

2. In accordance with the provisions of this section an individual who

is required to participate in work activities shall be ineligible to

receive public assistance if he or she fails to comply, without good

cause, with the requirements of this title and the district has

determined that he or she is not exempt from such requirements and has

verified that appropriate child care, transportation, and accommodations

for disability were in place at the time of such failure or refusal.

Such ineligibility shall be for the amount and period specified in this

section. Good cause for failing to comply with the requirements of this

title shall be defined in department regulations, provided, however,

that the parent or caretaker relative of a child under thirteen years of

age shall not be subject to the ineligibility provisions of this section

if the individual can demonstrate, in accordance with the regulations of

the office of children and family services, that lack of available child

care prevents such individual from complying with the work requirements

of this title. The parent or caretaker relative shall be responsible for

locating the child care needed to meet the work requirements; provided,

however, that the relevant social services district shall provide a

parent or caretaker relative who demonstrates an inability to obtain

needed child care with a choice of two providers, at least one of which

will be a regulated provider.

3. In the case of an applicant for or recipient of public assistance

whom the district has determined is not exempt from the requirements of

this title and who is a parent or caretaker of a dependent child, the

public assistance benefits otherwise available to the household of which

such individual is a member shall be reduced pro-rata until the

individual is willing to comply with the requirements of this title

consistent with any medical condition which may limit the individual's

ability to participate in work activities.

4. In the case of an individual who is a member of a household without

dependent children whom the district has determined is not exempt from

the requirements of this title and who is applying for or in receipt of

safety net assistance, the public assistance benefits otherwise

available to the household of which such individual is a member shall be

reduced pro-rata until the failure or refusal to comply with the

requirements of this title consistent with any medical condition which

may limit the individual's ability to participate in work activities

ceases.

5. A recipient of public assistance whom the district has determined

is not exempt from the requirements of this title and who quits or

reduces his hours of employment without good cause or due to any medical

condition which may limit the individual's ability to participate in

work activities shall be considered to have failed to comply with the

requirements of this article and shall be subject to the provisions of

this section.

6. A person described in paragraph (b) of subdivision seven of section

one hundred fifty-nine of this chapter may not be sanctioned if his or

her failure to comply with requirements of this title is related to his

or her health status.