Bill Text: NY A07967 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Requires law enforcement agencies and district attorney's offices to advise human trafficking victims of the availability of social and legal services; unless law enforcement agencies and district attorney's offices are notified by the victim that they do not want such services, such law enforcement agency shall contact the appropriate provider and request that a representative be provided.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-03-05 - print number 7967b [A07967 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A07967-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         7967--B

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                      May 29, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M. of A. HEVESI, LENTOL -- 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  --  committee
          discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
          to  said  committee  -- again reported from said committee with amend-
          ments, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

        AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to  advising  human
          trafficking victims of the availability of social and legal services

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Section 483-cc of the social services  law  is  amended  by
     2  adding a new subdivision (c) to read as follows:
     3    (c) Promptly upon an encounter with a person who reasonably appears to
     4  a  law  enforcement  agency  or district attorney's office to be a human
     5  trafficking victim, or a person who identifies himself or herself  as  a
     6  human trafficking victim, such law enforcement agency or district attor-
     7  ney's  office  shall  advise  such  person  of  the  availability of the
     8  services of specific, established providers of social and legal services
     9  to human trafficking victims.  Each local department of social  services
    10  shall  maintain  and  shall  update,  at  least once annually, a list of
    11  established providers of social and legal services to human  trafficking
    12  victims within the social services district, which shall be provided, at
    13  least once annually, to law enforcement agencies and district attorney's
    14  offices  within  the district.  In order to communicate effectively with
    15  such person, the law enforcement agency or  district  attorney's  office
    16  may  provide  such  individual with a brochure or other written material
    17  translated into the six most  common  non-English  languages  spoken  by
    18  individuals  with  limited  English  proficiency  in the state or in the
    19  applicable county, city, or town; provided, however, where  such  person
    20  is  not  proficient in one of such languages, the law enforcement agency
    21  or district attorney's office shall make reasonable efforts to  communi-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11936-06-0
        A. 7967--B                          2

     1  cate  effectively  with such person, using an interpreter or interpreta-
     2  tion services, where practicable.  Unless, after receiving such  advice,
     3  the  apparent victim expresses that he or she does not wish the presence
     4  of  a  representative of such an established provider of social or legal
     5  services, the law enforcement agency or district attorney's office shall
     6  contact the appropriate provider and request that  a  representative  be
     7  provided.  If  the  apparent victim does not wish the presence of such a
     8  representative, that expression by the apparent victim  shall  be  docu-
     9  mented  by  the  agency  or office official in writing or other recorded
    10  form. Nothing in this subdivision shall affect any obligation  such  law
    11  enforcement agency or district attorney's office may have to provide any
    12  information or assistance to such person.
    13    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.