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.