Bill Text: NY A02109 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Ensures adequate access to information by individuals who have limited English proficiency.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-05-31 - amend and recommit to rules 2109a [A02109 Detail]
Download: New_York-2021-A02109-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2109--A 2021-2022 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 14, 2021 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. FERNANDEZ, CRUZ, SAYEGH, SIMON, GLICK, COOK, GOTTFRIED, GONZALEZ-ROJAS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Social Services -- recommitted to the Committee on Social Services in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- reported and referred to the Committee on Rules -- Rules Committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to the Committee on Rules AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to ensuring adequate access to information by individuals who have limited English proficiency The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 95-a of the social services law is amended by 2 adding a new subdivision 9 to read as follows: 3 9. (a) The department shall develop and implement a plan to ensure 4 adequate access to information by individuals who have limited English 5 proficiency or otherwise require communication assistance. Notwith- 6 standing the provisions of any general, special or local law to the 7 contrary, and subject to appropriation, the department shall: 8 (i) translate necessary documents, including but not limited to, forms 9 and instructions provided to or completed by the program beneficiaries 10 or participants, into the twelve most common non-English languages 11 spoken by individuals with limited-English proficiency in New York 12 state, based on United States census data. Pursuant to section two 13 hundred two-a of the executive law, the department may, in its 14 discretion, offer up to four additional languages beyond the twelve most 15 common languages. Such additional languages shall be determined by the 16 provisions established in such section two hundred two-a. 17 (ii) offer, upon request, interpretation services between the entity 18 administering the program and an individual in his or her primary 19 language with respect to the provision of services or benefits; and EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD05463-03-2A. 2109--A 2 1 (iii) offer, upon request or demonstrated need, services to an indi- 2 vidual who requires additional assistance due to partial or total deaf- 3 ness, blindness, speech impediment, or cognitive impairment; and 4 (iv) subject to appropriation, work with the office for the aging to 5 provide additional translation services to both agencies to assist with 6 informing low-income and elderly households potentially eligible to 7 receive supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits. 8 (b) Each commissioner of social services shall retain discretion to 9 offer additional language translation services to low-income recipients, 10 as necessary. 11 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 12 have become a law; provided, however, that the amendments to section 13 95-a of the social services law made by section one of this act shall 14 not affect the expiration and reversion of such section and shall be 15 deemed to expire therewith.
