Requires social services districts to automatically re-enroll eligible persons or households for the low-income home energy assistance program

Latest action Apr 16, 2026

Requires social services districts to, every heating season, automatically re-enroll persons or households currently receiving assistance through the low-income home energy assistance program, so long as each person or household maintains eligibility.

Not chosen yet

Where it stands

Passed one of the two chambers; it still needs the other.

Introduced
In committee
Up for a vote
Passed one chamber
Passed
Enacted

New York State Senate

Amends the Social Services Law.

Committee

Social Services · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Social Services · New York State Senate.

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

The purpose of this bill is to require that all social services districts in New York State automatically re-enroll eligible households and individuals in HEAP

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Recorded votes

Vote: Floor vote
NY SenateApr 15, 2026Result: passed
(54) (1) (0) (8)
Vote: Committee vote · Rules
Senate RulesApr 7, 2026Result: passed
(17) (0) (0) (4)
Vote: Committee vote · Rules
Senate RulesJan 27, 2025Result: passed
(20) (0) (0) (1)
Vote: Floor vote
NY SenateJan 27, 2025Result: passed
(60) (0) (0) (3)
Vote: Committee vote · Social Services
Senate Social ServicesJan 22, 2025Result: passed
(7) (0) (0) (0)

Cosponsors

Dean Murray, Jake Ashby and 5 more on Agora

Republican4
Democratic3

See the full list on nysenate.gov

The sponsor's argument

Why Christopher Ryan says this is needed

In 2022, New York State utility companies warned customers that their home heating bills could rise 17' to 40k this winter. It is critical that eligible low income New Yorkers continue to receive HEAP benefits without interruption or are burdened with reapplying every year. Amid record inflation and continuing economic hardships caused by the pandem- ic, low-income families will continue to struggle to make ends meet. It is critical low-income New Yorkers are able to keep their heating bills as low as possible. In some parts of the state, individuals and families who receive HEAP benefits are already re-enrolled automatically if they qualify based on their enrollment in other social service programs such as Public Assist- ance, Supplemental Security Income, Medicaid, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). However, in many other parts of the state New Yorkers need to reapply, and many people don't even know whether they will be automatically re-enrolled or not. This legislation would make automatic re-enrollment a uniform requirement in every social services district throughout the state, ensuring all low-income New Yorkers continue to receive this critical assistance in paying their rising heating bills this winter.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Full history

Apr 16, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO SOCIAL SERVICES
NY Assembly
Apr 15, 2026
Sent to the executive
DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
NY Senate
Apr 15, 2026
Passed a chamber
PASSED SENATE
NY Senate
Apr 7, 2026
In committee
COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES
NY Senate
Apr 7, 2026
Ordered to Third Reading CAL.686
ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.686
NY Senate

Show full history (8 earlier events)

Jan 7, 2026
Died in Assembly
DIED IN ASSEMBLY
NY Assembly
Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO SOCIAL SERVICES
NY Senate
Jan 27, 2025
Sent to the executive
DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
NY Senate
Jan 27, 2025
Ordered to Third Reading CAL.148
ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.148
NY Senate
Jan 27, 2025
Passed a chamber
PASSED SENATE
NY Senate
Jan 27, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO SOCIAL SERVICES
NY Assembly
Jan 22, 2025
Reported out of committee
REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO RULES
NY Senate
Jan 14, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO SOCIAL SERVICES
NY Senate

About this record

Summary: The summary comes from NY Open Legislation, the New York State Senate's public record. For more, see How we handle summaries.
Cosponsors: The list shows the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.
Party colors: Parties are shown in the same neutral colors.
Source: From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 31, 2026. About our data

Read the record

Read on NY Senate (opens in a new tab) The official record on nysenate.gov.

Your position