Bill Text: NY S07895 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides for the regulation of the licensure and practice of immigration providers by the department of state in order to protect immigrants from exploitation.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION [S07895 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-S07895-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7895 IN SENATE January 3, 2024 ___________ Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Consumer Protection AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to immigration providers The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 2 460-l to read as follows: 3 § 460-l. Licenses. 1. The department of state shall issue licenses to 4 immigration providers and, upon application, to issue renewal licenses 5 every two years. The secretary of state shall enforce the provisions of 6 this article governing the filing and maintenance of surety bonds and 7 the application for licensure and/or renewal. 8 2. No person shall engage in the business of immigrant assistance 9 service as defined in section four hundred sixty-a of this article, or 10 advertise his or her business to be that of immigration provider without 11 having first obtained from the department of state a license to do so, 12 pursuant to this article. 13 3. No person shall disseminate by any means any statement indicating 14 directly or by implication that the person engages in the business of 15 immigrant assistance service as defined in section four hundred sixty-a 16 of this article or acts in the capacity of an immigration provider, or 17 proposes to engage in the business or act in the capacity of an immi- 18 gration provider, unless the person has on file with the secretary of 19 state a bond and license, in the amount and subject to the terms 20 described in section four hundred sixty-f of this article. 21 4. Any person intending to engage, as an immigration provider, in any 22 one or more of the activities set forth in this article shall file with 23 the department of state a written application and disclosure, on forms 24 provided by the department of state, containing such information and 25 documentation to be retained by the secretary of state as the secretary 26 of state may require by rule and regulation, including but not limited 27 to: (a) name, date of birth, residence address, business address, resi- 28 dence telephone number, and business telephone number; (b) experience EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD11828-01-3S. 7895 2 1 the provider has had with immigration; (c) places of business and 2 employees, if any; (d) name and address of the provider's agent for 3 service of process if one is required or has been appointed and, if 4 applicable, the name, business address, business telephone and agent for 5 service of process of the corporation or partnership employing the immi- 6 gration provider; (e) a record of any prior convictions under this arti- 7 cle. The secretary of state shall develop the disclosure form required 8 to file an application and bond pursuant to this section and section 9 four hundred sixty-f of this article. 10 5. The secretary of state shall charge and collect a filing fee at the 11 time of application and/or renewal to cover the cost of filing the bond 12 required by section four hundred sixty-f of this article. 13 § 2. Section 460-h of the general business law, as amended by chapter 14 206 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows: 15 § 460-h. Enforcement. 1. Upon any violation of this article, an appli- 16 cation may be made by the attorney general in the name of the people of 17 the state to a court having jurisdiction to issue an injunction, and 18 upon notice to the respondent of not fewer than five days, to enjoin and 19 restrain the continuance of the violation. If it shall appear to the 20 satisfaction of the court or justice that the defendant has, in fact, 21 violated this article, an injunction may be issued by such court or 22 justice, enjoining and restraining any further violation, without 23 requiring proof that any person has, in fact, been injured or damaged 24 thereby. In any such proceeding, the court may make allowances to the 25 attorney general as provided in paragraph six of subdivision (a) of 26 section eighty-three hundred three of the civil practice law and rules, 27 and direct restitution. Whenever the court shall determine that a 28 violation of this article has occurred, the court may impose a civil 29 penalty of not more than ten thousand dollars for each violation. 30 2. A person claiming to be aggrieved by any violation of this article 31 by an immigration provider may bring a civil action for injunctive 32 relief, damages or both. The court shall grant a prevailing plaintiff 33 reasonable attorneys' fees and costs. Any recovery or proceeding in a 34 civil action shall not preclude an action by the attorney general or 35 district attorney to pursue criminal charges against an immigration 36 provider. Minimal recovery for the plaintiff shall be five thousand 37 dollars. 38 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed- 39 ing the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, 40 the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces- 41 sary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are 42 authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
