S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         9213
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                   February 7, 2012
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by M. of A. BROOK-KRASNY, MILLMAN, V. LOPEZ -- read once and
         referred to the Committee on Real Property Taxation
       AN ACT to amend the real property tax  law,  in  relation  to  providing
         language  access services to individuals relating to the tax abatement
         program for rent-controlled and rent-regulated  property  occupied  by
         senior citizens or persons with disabilities
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 467-b of the real property tax law
    2  is amended by adding a new paragraph i to read as follows:
    3    I. THE ENTITY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE TAX  ABATEMENT
    4  PROGRAM  SHALL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A PLAN TO ENSURE ADEQUATE ACCESS TO
    5  INFORMATION BY INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE DIFFICULTIES SPEAKING OR UNDERSTAND-
    6  ING ENGLISH. SUCH ENTITY SHALL:
    7    (1) TRANSLATE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, FORMS
    8  AND INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED TO OR COMPLETED BY THE  PROGRAM  BENEFICIARIES
    9  OR  PARTICIPANTS,  INTO THE SIX MOST COMMON NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGES SPOKEN
   10  BY INDIVIDUALS WITH LIMITED-ENGLISH PROFICIENCY IN THE MUNICIPALITY THAT
   11  OFFERS THIS PROGRAM PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION;
   12    (2) OFFER, UPON REQUEST, INTERPRETATION SERVICES  BETWEEN  THE  ENTITY
   13  ADMINISTERING  THE  PROGRAM  AND  AN  INDIVIDUAL  IN  HIS OR HER PRIMARY
   14  LANGUAGE WITH RESPECT TO THE PROVISION OF SERVICES OR BENEFITS; AND
   15    (3) OFFER, UPON REQUEST OR DEMONSTRATED NEED, SERVICES TO AN  INDIVID-
   16  UAL WHO REQUIRES ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE DUE TO PARTIAL OR TOTAL DEAFNESS,
   17  BLINDNESS, SPEECH IMPEDIMENT, OR COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT.
   18    S  2.  This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
   19  the amendments to subdivision 3 of section 467-b of  the  real  property
   20  tax  law made by section one of this act shall not affect the expiration
   21  and reversion of such section and shall be deemed to expire therewith.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD14355-01-2