Bill Text: NY S00953 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Authorizes the New York City Housing Authority to conduct a survey of housing developments under its control for the purpose of determining the percentage of non-English proficient residents in such developments and requires the institution of language assistance programs at public housing developments at which more than ten percent of the residents do not speak English.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-06 - REFERRED TO HOUSING, CONSTRUCTION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT [S00953 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-S00953-Introduced.html

---

                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                          953
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                    January 7, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by Sens. SERRANO, SANDERS, STEWART-COUSINS -- read twice and
         ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on
         Housing, Construction and Community Development
       AN  ACT  to  authorize  the New York city housing authority to conduct a
         survey of housing developments under its control for  the  purpose  of
         determining the percentage of non-English proficient residents in such
         developments and requiring institution of language assistance programs
         at  public  housing developments at which more than ten percent of the
         residents do not speak English
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Not later than January 1, 2017, and every three years ther-
    2  eafter,  the  New  York city housing authority shall conduct a survey of
    3  each public housing development  under  its  control  to  determine  the
    4  percentage  of  residents  in each development who are not proficient in
    5  English and ascertain the languages in which such residents  are  profi-
    6  cient.  If more than ten percent of the residents of a given development
    7  are non-English proficient, the development shall establish  a  language
    8  assistance  program  where  non-English  proficient residents would have
    9  effective access to communicate with development supervisors and person-
   10  nel in a language in which  they  are  proficient.  This  program  shall
   11  include, but not be limited to:
   12    a.  employing  a  minimum  of  one  person  proficient  in one or more
   13  languages spoken by the non-English proficient residents of the develop-
   14  ment, so as to ensure that every resident of the development has  access
   15  to  at least one staff member who speaks at least one language spoken by
   16  such resident;
   17    b.  considering  proficiency  in  one  or  more  of  the   non-English
   18  language(s) spoken at the development as a major criterion in the hiring
   19  process;
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD03182-01-5
       S. 953                              2
    1    c.  ensuring  that  all  staff  members are trained on how to properly
    2  utilize New York city housing  authority's  Language  Services  Unit  to
    3  properly communicate with residents; and
    4    d.  providing translation of all commonly used forms and informational
    5  materials into the primary language.
    6    S 2. Within 30 days  of  the  institution  of  a  language  assistance
    7  program  at  a  development,  the development management shall prepare a
    8  notice of the availability of the language assistance programs for  non-
    9  English  proficient residents and shall mail such notice to the homes of
   10  the development's non-English proficient residents. The notice shall  be
   11  written  in  the  residents' primary language and shall specify the name
   12  and contact information for the  bilingual  employees  employed  by  the
   13  development.
   14    S  3.  Each  development  shall keep a record documenting its language
   15  assistance program and shall submit a summary report annually to the New
   16  York city housing authority. Such record and report shall  include,  but
   17  not be limited to:
   18    a.  The  number  of  non-English proficient residents who receive such
   19  assistance;
   20    b. The number of non-English proficient households where one  resident
   21  is English language proficient;
   22    c. The number of complaints filed by non-English proficient or limited
   23  English proficient residents; and
   24    d.  The  number  of bilingual personnel used to assist in the language
   25  assistance and translation services.
   26    S 4. The New York city housing authority shall promulgate such  rules,
   27  regulations  and  standards  as may be necessary and proper to implement
   28  the provisions of this act, including the undertaking of the survey, the
   29  establishment of the language assistance programs and the monitoring  of
   30  such programs to ensure on-going compliance by the developments at which
   31  the programs are instituted.
   32    S 5. This act shall take effect immediately.