New York State Senate Bill S9198 is proposed legislation in the New York State Senate that would establish or modify a grant or funding program related to a specific policy area addressed in the bill. As a legislative proposal, this bill reflects an effort by New York State lawmakers to allocate public resources toward a defined public need or program priority.

If enacted, the bill would create funding opportunities for eligible entities—which may include nonprofits, local governments, schools, or businesses—depending on its provisions. The bill's status, specific appropriations, and eligibility criteria depend on legislative progress through the New York State Senate and Assembly.

# NY State Senate Bill 2025-S9198 The New York State Senate * [](https://www. youtube. com/user/NYSenate) Advanced Legislation Search * [](https://www.

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## 2025-S9198 (ACTIVE) - Details Current Committee:Senate FinanceLaw Section: Appropriations Laws Affected:Amd §203, Eld L [](https://www. nysenate.

gov/legislation/bills/2025/S9198) ## 2025-S9198 (ACTIVE) - Summary Directs the state office for the aging to establish a grant program for the provision of home-delivered meals to eligible homebound individuals on weekends and state-recognized holidays by eligible entities; requires a report; makes an appropriation therefore. [](https://www. nysenate.

gov/legislation/bills/2025/S9198) ## 2025-S9198 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo An act to amend the elder law, in relation to requiring the provision of home-delivered meals to eligible homebound older adults on weekends and holidays; to require the state office for the aging to deliver a report; and to make an appropriation therefor PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:: The purpose of this legislation is to provide home-bound senior New Yorkers with home-delivered meals for all days of the calendar year.

Section 1: Legislative Findings and Intent Section 2: Amends elder law section 203 to add new subdivision 13 which lays out the eligibility requirements for New Yorkers to receive at least one home-delivered meal for each day of the calendar year.

Section 3: This bill also requires the state office for the aging to submit annual reports on the first of January and thereafter to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the minority leader of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of the assembly and the chairs of the senate and assembly committees on aging with specific minimum requirements.

Section 4: The sum of one hundred million dollars is appropriated to the state office for the aging for the purpose of implementing the Section 5: Severability Section 6: Effective Date Access to food is a fundamental right that should be guaranteed to every New Yorker, regardless of age, gender, or cultural background. Older adults comprise approximately 16 percent of New York State's population, nearly 3. 2 million residents.

Many seniors face significant barriers to consistent nutrition services, including but not limited to mobility, chronic health conditions, and social isolation. New York has an obli- gation and public health interest in ensuring that older adults can reliably access at least one nutritious meal each day.

The federal Older Americans Act (OAA) of 1965 supports older adults through social services, nutrition programs, and community-based care. Through the Administration on Aging, eligible New Yorkers may receive home-delivered meals for up to 5 days per week.

However, this framework leaves a critical gap on weekends and holidays, when the need for food This bill would help to bridge the gap by placing the needs of older New Yorkers at the forefront of our state policy. Ensuring consistent access to meals affirms the dignity of seniors and recognizes the state's responsibility to safeguard their well-being.

Recent budget cuts in federal funding have further strained the system and limited the capacity of providers to meet growing demands. The state office for the aging estimates that 27,356 older adults will lose access to home-delivered meal services, resulting in approximately 4.

4 million By establishing a statewide commitment to expanding meal access, this bill will help ensure that all elder New Yorkers have reliable access to nutrition. Investing in food security for seniors reaffirms New York's dedication to protecting its most vulnerable residents.

Such moneys of one hundred million dollars, appropriated to the state office for the aging, shall be made available on or after April first, two thousand twenty-six, and shall remain available to the state office for the aging until expended. The office may use the provisions of this act to provide grants to local governmental units and nonprofit organ- izations.

However, the office may retain up to 10 percent of such funds for the purpose of implementing the grant program. This bill shall take effect one hundred eighty days after it becomes a [](https://www. nysenate.

gov/legislation/bills/2025/S9198) S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ Introduced by Sen.

CLEARE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance AN ACT to amend the elder law, in relation to requiring the provision of home-delivered meals to eligible homebound older adults on weekends and holidays; to require the state office for the aging to deliver a report; and to make an appropriation therefor THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1.

Legislative findings and intent.

The legislature finds that many older New Yorkers depend on publicly supported home-delivered meal services as their primary source of daily nutrition, yet current federal and state rules only require that programs provide one meal a day five days a week, often do not operate on weekends and holidays, leading to gaps in food access, increased nutritional risk, and preventable hospi- talizations and institutionalization for frail, homebound older adults.

It is therefore the intent of the legislature to ensure that eligible older adults receive access to at least one nutritious meal per day, including days that programs do not operate, such as weekends and state- recognized holidays, by directing the state office for the aging to establish and support year-round home-delivered meal services. § 2.

Section 203 of the elder law is amended by adding a new subdivi- sion 13 to read as follows: 13. (A) WITHIN AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED THEREFOR, THE OFFICE SHALL ESTAB- LISH A GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE PROVISION OF HOME-DELIVERED MEALS TO ELIGI- BLE HOMEBOUND INDIVIDUALS ON WEEKENDS AND STATE-RECOGNIZED HOLIDAYS BY ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.

THE GRANT PROGRAM SHALL BE OPEN TO PUBLIC OR PRIVATE NONPROFIT CORPORATIONS, ASSOCIATIONS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES WITH A PRIORITY GIVEN TO THOSE ENTITIES WITH A HISTORY OF PROVIDING (B) THE PROGRAM ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL, TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE, BE COMPLIMENTARY WITH EXISTING WEEKDAY HOME-DELIV- 1965 AND RELATED STATE, LOCAL, AND NONPROFIT PROGRAMS, AND SHALL BE EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted.

ONE HOME-DELIVERED MEAL EACH DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, THREE HUNDRED (C) PRIORITY FOR SERVICES UNDER THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE GIVEN TO (1) AT LEAST SIXTY YEARS OLD; AND (2) DETERMINED BY AN AREA AGENCY ON AGING TO BE HOMEBOUND DUE TO ILLNESS, DISABILITY, OR FRAILTY.

(D) MEALS PROVIDED UNDER THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL MEET APPLICABLE FEDER- AL AND STATE NUTRITION AND FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT OF 1965 AND ANY REGULATIONS OR GUIDANCE ISSUED BY THE OFFICE.

(E) IN ORDER TO ENSURE CONTINUITY OF SERVICE AND COST-EFFECTIVE DELIV- ERY, THE OFFICE MAY AUTHORIZE THE USE OF FROZEN OR CHILLED MEALS, SHELF- STABLE MEALS, AND OTHER MODES OF ADVANCE DELIVERY FOR DAYS THAT PROGRAMS DO NOT OPERATE, PROVIDED THAT SUCH APPROACHES SAFEGUARD THE HEALTH AND (F) THE OFFICE SHALL AWARD GRANTS TO PUBLIC OR PRIVATE NONPROFIT CORPORATIONS, ASSOCIATIONS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES WITH A PRIOR- ITY GIVEN TO THOSE ENTITIES WITH A HISTORY OF PROVIDING WEEKEND MEALS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PLANNING, IMPLEMENTING, AND OPERATING SERVICES UNDER (G) THE OFFICE SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBDIVISION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, SERVICE PRIORITIES, METHODS OF REIMBURSEMENT, REPORTING REQUIREMENTS, AND PERFORMANCE AND OUTCOME MEASURES.

§ 3. Reporting. (a) No later than twelve months after the effective date of this act, and on the first of January annually thereafter, the state office for the aging shall submit a report to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the minority leader of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of the assembly and the chairs of the senate and assembly committees on aging.

(b) Such report shall include, at a minimum: (1) the number of individuals served under the program created by this act, by county and service area; (2) the number of meals delivered on weekends and holidays; and (3) a description of outreach efforts and strategies used to reach underserved communities, including rural areas and communities of color. § 4. Appropriation.

(a) The sum of one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appro- priated out of any moneys in the general fund to the credit of the state purposes account not otherwise appropriated, to the state office for the aging, for the purpose of implementing the provisions of this act, including grants to local governmental units and community-based provid- ers, administrative expenses, outreach, and program evaluation; provided, however, that the state office for the aging may retain up to 10 percent of such funds for the purpose of implementing the grant program described in section two of this act.

(b) Such moneys shall be made available on or after April first, two thousand twenty-six, and shall remain available to the state office for the aging until expended. § 5. Severability.

If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section or part of this act shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered.

It is hereby declared to be the intent of the legislature that this act would have been enacted even if such invalid provisions had not been included herein. § 6. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.

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