Section 1613-B. Crediting of lottery prizes against public assistance benefits  


Latest version.
  • (1) Notwithstanding any limitations  in  section  one  hundred  four  of the social services law, the director of the lottery, on behalf
      of the division of the lottery, shall enter  into  a  written  agreement
      with  the  commissioner  of  the  office  of  temporary  and  disability
      assistance,  on  behalf  of  the  office  of  temporary  and  disability
      assistance,  which  shall  set  forth  the  procedures for crediting any
      lottery prize of six hundred dollars or more awarded  to  an  individual
      against any and all public assistance benefits which were given to or on
      behalf  of  such  individual within a period of up to ten years prior to
      the issuance of such prize of which the director of the lottery has been
      notified by the commissioner of the office of temporary  and  disability
      assistance  pursuant  to  the  provisions  of  such agreement; provided,
      however, that in no event shall such credit to the office  of  temporary
      and disability assistance exceed fifty percent of any such lottery prize
      and provided further that, unless otherwise determined cost effective by
      the  commissioner  of  the office of temporary and disability assistance
      and the director of the lottery such procedure shall be required only to
      the extent that and with respect to periods for which it can be effected
      through automated type match.
        (2) Such agreement shall include: (a) the procedure  under  which  the
      office  of  temporary  and disability assistance and the division of the
      lottery shall  exchange  information  concerning  lottery  winnings  and
      persons  liable for receipt of public assistance within the previous ten
      years;
        (b) subject to  the  approval  of  the  director  of  the  budget  the
      procedure for reimbursement of the division of the lottery by the office
      of  temporary  and  disability  assistance  for  the  additional cost of
      carrying out the procedures authorized by this section;
        (c) provision for crediting lottery  prizes  to  past-due  support  in
      accordance  with  subdivisions  ten  and  eleven  of section one hundred
      eleven-b of the social services law prior to effecting any  such  credit
      against public assistance; and
        (d)  such  other  matters  as the parties to such agreement shall deem
      necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.
        (3) Prior to awarding any lottery prize  of  six  hundred  dollars  or
      more,  the  division of the lottery shall review the notice of liability
      of public assistance benefits paid provided by the office  of  temporary
      and  disability  assistance. For each lottery prize winner identified on
      such notice as an individual, who is receiving or has  received,  within
      the  last  ten  years,  public assistance benefits, the lottery division
      shall credit to the office of temporary and disability  assistance  such
      amount  of the prize to satisfy the amount of public assistance benefits
      indicated as received within the previous ten years, and  any  remainder
      shall  be  awarded  to  the  prize winner; provided, however, that in no
      event shall such credit  to  the  office  of  temporary  and  disability
      assistance exceed fifty percent of any such lottery prize.
        (4)  The  division of the lottery shall certify to the comptroller the
      total amount of the lottery prize winning to be credited against  public
      assistance  benefits  owed  to the state and the remainder of such prize
      winning to be awarded to the prize winner.
        (5) The division of the lottery  shall  notify  the  prize  winner  in
      writing  of the total amount of the lottery prize winning to be credited
      against public assistance benefits  and  the  remainder  of  such  prize
      winning  to  be  awarded  to the prize winner. Such notice shall further
      advise the prize winner that the  office  of  temporary  and  disability
      assistance  shall  provide  separate  notice,  in  writing, to the prize
    
      winner of the procedure for and time frame by which the prize winner may
      contest such crediting.
        (6) The office of temporary and disability assistance shall notify the
      prize  winner  in  writing,  of  the  amount of such prize winning to be
      credited against public assistance benefits and the procedure  and  time
      frame  by  which  the  prize  winner  may  contest  such crediting. Such
      procedure shall include the address and telephone number of  the  office
      of  temporary  and  disability  assistance  and who the prize winner may
      contact with respect to  correction  of  any  error  in  such  crediting
      concerning such individual's liability for public assistance benefits or
      with respect to payment of such liability.
        (7)  From  the  time  the  division  of the lottery is notified by the
      office  of  temporary  and  disability  assistance  of  an  individual's
      liability  for  public  assistance benefits under the agreement provided
      for in this section, the division of the lottery shall be relieved  from
      all  liability  to  such individual, their assigns, successors, heirs or
      representatives for the amount of  any  lottery  prize  winning  of  six
      hundred  dollars  or  more  certified  to the comptroller to be credited
      against public assistance benefits and such  individual  shall  have  no
      right  to  commence  a  court action or proceeding or to any other legal
      recourse against the division of the lottery  to  recover  such  lottery
      winnings  certified  to  the  comptroller  to be credited against public
      assistance  benefits.  Provided,  however,  nothing  herein   shall   be
      construed to prohibit such individual from proceeding against the office
      of  temporary  and  disability  assistance  to recover that part of such
      lottery winnings thereon so certified to the comptroller to be  credited
      against  public  assistance benefits which is greater than the amount of
      public assistance benefits paid to such individual within ten  years  of
      the date of such certification.
        (8)  The  division  of  the  lottery  shall  promulgate such rules and
      regulations as it deems necessary to carry out the  provisions  of  this
      section.