Assembly Bill A8158

2017-2018 Legislative Session

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

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

Do you support this bill?

Please enter your contact information

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.
Actions

co-Sponsors

2017-A8158 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S8129
Current Committee:
Senate Rules
Law Section:
Public Officers Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§74-a & 103, Pub Off L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2009-2010: A2102
2011-2012: A1932
2013-2014: A2826
2015-2016: A1669
2019-2020: A3385, S2774
2021-2022: A3924, S3430
2023-2024: A4309

2017-A8158 (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.

2017-A8158 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8158
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               June 1, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. DICKENS -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Governmental 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:
   § 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 TWENTY, 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; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT SUCH ACTION  DOES  NOT  IMPOSE  AN
 UNDUE HARDSHIP ON THE PUBLIC BODY EQUIPPING SUCH ROOMS.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.