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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

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

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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
2025-2026: A3588

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.

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