Section 350-J. Emergency assistance to needy families with children

1.
  Any inconsistent  provisions  of  this  chapter  or  of  any  other  law
  notwithstanding,  so long as federal aid is available therefor, a social
  services district shall provide emergency assistance as  herein  defined
  to persons eligible, including migrant workers with families.
    2. For purposes of this section, the term "emergency assistance" means
  aid,  care  and  services  to meet the emergency needs of a child or the
  household in which he or she is living, in the following circumstances:
    (a) where the child is under twenty-one years of age; and
    (b) the child is living with, or within the previous  twelve    months
  has lived with, an adult related by blood, marriage or adoption; and
    (c) in cases of applications for grants of cash assistance, such child
  or  such household is not categorically eligible for or receiving family
  assistance; and
    (d) such emergency needs resulted from a  catastrophic  occurrence  or
  from  a  situation which threatens family stability and which has caused
  the destitution of the child and/or household; and
    (e) such occurrence or situation could not have been foreseen  by  the
  applicant, was not under his or her control and, in the case of a person
  receiving  public  assistance,  did  not  result from the loss, theft or
  mismanagement of a regular public assistance grant; and
    (f) the  emergency  grant  being  applied  for  will  not  replace  or
  duplicate  a  public  assistance  grant  already  made under section one
  hundred thirty-one-a of this chapter.
    3.   Emergency assistance to needy families  with  children  shall  be
  provided  to  the  extent  of  items  of  need and services set forth in
  sections one hundred thirty-one and one  hundred  thirty-one-a  of  this
  chapter,  and  items  of  medical  services  set  forth in section three
  hundred sixty-five-a of this chapter, and in amounts set  forth  in  the
  regulations  of  the  department  for children who are without available
  resources, and when such assistance is necessary to avoid destitution or
  to provide them with living arrangements in a home, and such destitution
  or such need did not arise because such children  or  relatives  refused
  without  good  cause  to  accept  employment or training for employment;
  provided, however, that no assistance  shall  be  provided  which  would
  duplicate  assistance  under  sections  one  hundred  thirty-one and one
  hundred thirty-one-a of this article for which a person is  eligible  or
  would  be  eligible but for a sanction for violation of the requirements
  of title nine-B of article five of this chapter or other requirement  of
  state  law  and  provided further that, notwithstanding any inconsistent
  provision of this section or section one hundred  thirty-one-a  of  this
  article,  persons  for whom preventive services are being provided under
  title four of article six of this chapter or who are  living  in  foster
  care  or  in public, congregate or group facilities, such as residential
  facilities  for  victims  of  domestic  violence,   may,   pursuant   to
  regulations  of  the department within amounts specifically appropriated
  therefor and subject  to the terms and conditions of such appropriation,
  receive assistance hereunder on their behalf for such  services  or  for
  care  in such facilities in amounts exceeding those set forth in section
  one hundred thirty-one-a of this article.
    5.  In scheduling investigations concerning applications for emergency
  assistance pursuant to this section,  local  social  services  districts
  shall give priority to such applications.