Bill > S01499

This bill directs the New York State Commissioner of Health to apply for a Section 1115 Medicaid waiver from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to implement a work requirement program for able-bodied, working-age Medicaid recipients. The proposed waiver would require participants to engage in community or employment activities, with gradually increasing hours from 5 to 20 hours per week over 12 months. Certain groups would be exempt from these requirements, including children, seniors, people with disabilities, pregnant individuals, former foster children, and primary caregivers. Participants could satisfy the requirement through various activities such as job training, education, job searches, vocational training, employment, community service, and caregiving. The waiver aims to empower participants and help them transition to self-sufficiency, with provisions for monitoring and evaluating the program's effectiveness. The Commissioner is required to report on the waiver application's status to state leadership by January 1, 2026, and the bill would take effect immediately upon passage.

Health and Social Services

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1499