2023 New York Laws › SOS - Social Services › Article 5 - Assistance and Care › Title 1 - General Provisions › 134-A - Conduct of Investigation.

§  134-a.  Conduct of investigation. 1. In accordance with regulations
  of  the  department  of  family   assistance,   any   investigation   or
  reinvestigation  of  eligibility  for  public assistance and care, other
  than medical assistance, shall be limited to  those  factors  reasonably
  necessary to insure that expenditures shall be in accord with applicable
  provisions  of  this  chapter  and the regulations of the department and
  shall be conducted in such manner so as not to violate any  civil  right
  of  the applicant or recipient. Such regulations of the department shall
  provide that where inconsistencies and gaps in the information presented
  by a recipient or where other circumstances in the particular case would
  indicate to a prudent person,  that  further  inquiry  should  be  made,
  additional necessary information is to be sought except further that the
  department  shall  provide  by  regulations  which  are  consistent with
  federal law for matching of data supplied by or  about  recipients  with
  information  contained in the wage reporting system established pursuant
  to section one hundred seventy-one-a of the tax law and similar  systems
  in  other  geographically  contiguous states, and such regulations shall
  further provide to the extent mandated by federal law for matching  with
  the  non-wage  income  file  maintained  by  the  United States internal
  revenue service, with the benefits and earnings data exchange maintained
  by the United States department of health and human services,  and  with
  the  unemployment  insurance benefits file. In making such investigation
  or  reinvestigation,  sources  of  information,   other   than   records
  maintained  by  a  public  agency,  shall  be  consulted  only  with the
  permission of the applicant or recipient. However, if such permission is
  not granted by  the  applicant  or  recipient,  the  appropriate  social
  services  official may deny, suspend or discontinue public assistance or
  care until such time as he may  be  satisfied  that  such  applicant  or
  recipient  is  eligible  therefor.  Nothing  in  this  section  shall be
  construed to prohibit  activities  the  department  reasonably  believes
  necessary  to  conform  with  Federal  requirements  under  section  one
  thousand one hundred  thirty-seven  of  the  social  security  act.  The
  activities  authorized by this section may be initiated only with regard
  to those clients who have been given appropriate notice of  verification
  activity under article six-A of the public officers law.
2. At the time he applies for public assistance and care, an applicant
  shall,  as  a  condition  of  receiving  such  aid, present proof of his
  identity to the social  services  official  as  the  department  may  by
  regulation  require, and he shall provide such proof thereafter whenever
  required by such official.
3. The social services official shall require  that  persons  applying
  for or receiving public assistance and care be interviewed personally at
  a  time  and  in a manner provided by the regulations of the department,
  and the social services official may  provide  the  option  of  a  phone
  interview  or  other  digital means for such interview at the request of
  the applicant or recipient.
4.  Notwithstanding  any  other  provisions  of  this   chapter,   the
  department  may  provide  for  a comparison of information identifying a
  recipient of benefits under any program authorized  under  this  chapter
  with identifying information possessed by state agencies in other states
  administering  programs  similar  to  those  authorized  by this chapter
  regarding recipients of  such  programs.  Such  a  comparison  shall  be
  authorized  only  with  regard  to clients who have received appropriate
  notice under the personal privacy protection law, which notice shall  be
  deemed  compliance  with  the  provisions  of  subdivision  one  of this
  section. Should the comparison of identifying information indicate  that
  the  client in question is or has been simultaneously receiving benefits
  in both  states,  the  department  may,  in  its  discretion,  authorize

  exchange  of  income, benefit, and other case information with the state
  agency of the other state.
5. The social services official upon receipt of information concerning
  a  sentence  of  imprisonment  imposed  upon  a  person receiving public
  assistance shall make a reinvestigation of eligibility.