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Assembly Bill A2826

2013-2014 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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2013-A2826 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Finance
Law Section:
Public Officers Law
Laws Affected:
Amd ยงยง74-a & 103, Pub Off L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2009-2010: A2102
2011-2012: A1932
2015-2016: A1669
2017-2018: A8158
2019-2020: A3385
2021-2022: A3924
2023-2024: A4309
2025-2026: A3588

2013-A2826 (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; also requires installation and use of assistive listening devices.

2013-A2826 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

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

                                  2826

                       2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            January 18, 2013
                               ___________

Introduced by M. of A. WRIGHT, RODRIGUEZ, PERRY -- Multi-Sponsored by --
  M. of A. FARRELL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Govern-
  mental Operations

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.  1. 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.
  2. (A) ON AND AFTER JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN,  SUCH  PUBLIC
OFFICERS  SHALL  HAVE THE POWER AND IT SHALL BE THEIR INDIVIDUAL DUTY TO
EQUIP ANY ROOMS USED FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS WHICH ACCOMMODATE MORE THAN ONE
HUNDRED PERSONS WITH AN ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEM FOR USE BY THE  HEAR-
ING IMPAIRED.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD00686-01-3

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