NY A05331

Establishes the HOPE (Health, Opportunity, and Personal Empowerment) pilot program allowing low-income individuals to create accounts through banks and credit unions that provide direct deposit, matched savings, and a mobile app to locate and enroll in multiple government benefits programs simultaneously

Targets individuals and households below 200% of federal poverty level, those experiencing food insecurity or homelessness, TANF recipients, and youth transitioning from foster care or juvenile detention

Creates HOPE Action Plans enabling participants to enter voluntary agreements with government and nonprofit partners specifying goals for earning, learning, and saving to achieve long-term economic mobility

Appropriates $49 million annually for fiscal years 2026-2029, with grants ranging from $250,000 to $3 million for pilot projects distributed across rural, urban, and suburban areas, with at least 10% allocated to persistent poverty counties

Prohibits pilot projects from decreasing benefit amounts, lengthening application times, reducing public employment, tracking immigration status, or sharing client data with third parties or immigration enforcement agencies