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Senate Bill S3805

2009-2010 Legislative Session

Requires public officers and bodies to provide interpreters and assistive listening devices for the hearing impaired at public hearings under certain conditions

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

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2009-S3805 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Finance
Law Section:
Public Officers Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§74-a & 103, Pub Off L

2009-S3805 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires public officers and public bodies to make reasonable efforts to provide qualified interpreters at no charge for the hearing impaired at public meetings and hearings upon written request to the public officer responsible for the siting of such hearing.

2009-S3805 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2009-S3805 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  3805

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              April 1, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sens.  FLANAGAN,  ALESI,  DeFRANCISCO  -- read twice and
  ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on
  Finance

AN  ACT to amend the public officers law, in relation to the accessibil-
  ity of public hearings and meetings

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1.  Section 74-a of the public officers law, as added by chap-
ter 368 of the laws of 1977, is amended to read as follows:
  S  74-a.    Duty  of  public  officers regarding [the physically hand-
icapped] ACCESSIBILITY.  It shall be the duty  of  each  public  officer
responsible  for  the scheduling or siting of any public hearing to make
reasonable efforts to ensure (A) that such hearings are held in  facili-
ties  that  permit  barrier-free physical access to the physically hand-
icapped, as defined in subdivision five of section fifty of  the  public
buildings  law;  AND  (B)  THAT  SERVICES OF A QUALIFIED INTERPRETER, IF
AVAILABLE, ARE PROVIDED AT SUCH PUBLIC HEARINGS AT NO CHARGE TO  PERSONS
WHO  ARE  HEARING  IMPAIRED  UPON  WRITTEN REQUEST TO THE PUBLIC OFFICER
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SCHEDULING OR SITING OF THE PUBLIC HEARING WITHIN  A
REASONABLE  TIME  PRIOR  TO  SUCH  HEARING.  IF INTERPRETER SERVICES ARE
REQUESTED, THE PUBLIC OFFICER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SCHEDULING  OR  SITING
OF  THE  PUBLIC  HEARING SHALL ENGAGE THE SERVICES OF A QUALIFIED INTER-
PRETER, IF AVAILABLE, TO INTERPRET THE PROCEEDING TO, AND THE  TESTIMONY
OF  SUCH  PERSONS WHO ARE HEARING IMPAIRED; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT SUCH
ACTION DOES NOT IMPOSE AN UNDUE HARDSHIP ON THE PUBLIC BODY HOLDING SUCH
HEARING.
  S 2. Section 103 of the public officers law is amended by adding a new
subdivision (d) to read as follows:
  (D) PUBLIC BODIES SHALL MAKE  OR  CAUSE  TO  BE  MADE  ALL  REASONABLE
EFFORTS  TO  ENSURE  THAT SERVICES OF A QUALIFIED INTERPRETER, IF AVAIL-
ABLE, ARE PROVIDED AT MEETINGS AT NO CHARGE TO PERSONS WHO  ARE  HEARING

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD00254-02-9

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