NY State Senate Bill 2017-S3104

Senate Bill S3104

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Authorizes NYCHA survey of housing developments to determine the percentage of non-English proficient residents, requires language assistance programs

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Housing, Construction And Community Development 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

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2018	referred to housing, construction and community development
Jan 19, 2017	referred to housing, construction and community development

co-Sponsors

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2017-S3104 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Housing, Construction And Community Development
Law Section:: Housing
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S4459
2011-2012: S2701
2013-2014: S1037
2015-2016: S953

2017-S3104 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Authorizes the New York City Housing Authority to conduct a survey of housing developments under its control for the purpose of determining the percentage of non-English proficient residents in such developments and requires the institution of language assistance programs at public housing developments at which more than ten percent of the residents do not speak English.

2017-S3104 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S3104

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to authorize the New York city housing
authority to conduct a survey of housing developments under its
control for the purpose of determining the percentage of non-English
proficient residents in such developments and requiring institution of
language assistance programs at public housing developments at which
more than ten percent of the residents do not speak English

 PURPOSE OF THE BILL :

To provide residents of New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)
developments access to critical services in non-English languages, if
a substantial number of residents of the development require services
in that language.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

Section 1 directs NYCHA to conduct a language assessment of its
developments every three years, no later than January 1, 2017. If the
survey finds developments with populations of ten percent or greater
requiring services in a non-English language, the development shall
provide important documents and seek to employ one person proficient
in the aforementioned non-English language.

Section 2 directs the NYCHA to prepare a notice, within 30 days of the

institution of the language assistance program, that informs residents
of the newly available services. Such notices shall be mailed to
non-English proficient residents with contact information for the
bilingual employee(s).

Section 3 relates to information gathering requirements of the
program.

Section 4 authorizes NYCHA to implement the necessary rules,
regulations and standards.

 JUSTIFICATION :

The City of New York is linguistically one of the most diverse cities
in the world, with over 170 languages spoken by residents throughout
the five boroughs. Residents of public housing in New York City, many
recent immigrants seeking to make a better life for their families,
deserve access to critical management services in their native
languages.

My office has received numerous reports of the unacceptable handling
of resident phone calls by NYCHA employees unsure of how to handle
calls in a widely-spoken non-English language. As the call could have
been in regards to a critical safety issue, a rent discrepancy or
other important quality of life issue, proper handling of resident
concerns is a must.

Though NYCHA has established a central translation phone bank to
address these concerns, this system has not proven a responsive or
cost-effective solution.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

2009-2010: S.4459- Senate & Assembly Referred to Housing
2011-2012: S.2701A- Amended & Recommitted to Housing
2013-2014: S.1037- Referred to Housing, Construction & Community
Development
2015-2016: S.953- Referred to Housing, Construction & Community
Development

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENTS :

Fiscal note pending.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
Immediately.

2017-S3104 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3104
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 19, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced   by   Sens.  SERRANO,  BAILEY,  HAMILTON,  RIVERA,  SANDERS,
   STEWART-COUSINS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to
   be committed to the Committee on Housing, Construction  and  Community
   Development
 
 AN  ACT  to  authorize  the New York city housing authority to conduct a
   survey of housing developments under its control for  the  purpose  of
   determining the percentage of non-English proficient residents in such
   developments and requiring institution of language assistance programs
   at  public  housing developments at which more than ten percent of the
   residents do not speak English
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Not later than January 1, 2019, and every three years ther-
 eafter,  the  New  York city housing authority shall conduct a survey of
 each public housing development  under  its  control  to  determine  the
 percentage  of  residents  in each development who are not proficient in
 English and ascertain the languages in which such residents  are  profi-
 cient.  If more than ten percent of the residents of a given development
 are non-English proficient, the development shall establish  a  language
 assistance  program  where  non-English  proficient residents would have
 effective access to communicate with development supervisors and person-
 nel in a language in which  they  are  proficient.  This  program  shall
 include, but not be limited to:
   a.  employing  a  minimum  of  one  person  proficient  in one or more
 languages spoken by the non-English proficient residents of the develop-
 ment, so as to ensure that every resident of the development has  access
 to  at least one staff member who speaks at least one language spoken by
 such resident;
   b.  considering  proficiency  in  one  or  more  of  the   non-English
 language(s) spoken at the development as a major criterion in the hiring
 process;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD01121-01-7

 S. 3104                             2
 
   c.  ensuring  that  all  staff  members are trained on how to properly
 utilize New York city housing  authority's  Language  Services  Unit  to
 properly communicate with residents; and
   d.  providing translation of all commonly used forms and informational
 materials into the primary language.
   § 2. Within 30 days  of  the  institution  of  a  language  assistance
 program  at  a  development,  the development management shall prepare a
 notice of the availability of the language assistance programs for  non-
 English  proficient residents and shall mail such notice to the homes of
 the development's non-English proficient residents. The notice shall  be
 written  in  the  residents' primary language and shall specify the name
 and contact information for the  bilingual  employees  employed  by  the
 development.
   §  3.  Each  development  shall keep a record documenting its language
 assistance program and shall submit a summary report annually to the New
 York city housing authority. Such record and report shall  include,  but
 not be limited to:
   a.  The  number  of  non-English proficient residents who receive such
 assistance;
   b. The number of non-English proficient households where one  resident
 is English language proficient;
   c. The number of complaints filed by non-English proficient or limited
 English proficient residents; and
   d.  The  number  of bilingual personnel used to assist in the language
 assistance and translation services.
   § 4. The New York city housing authority shall promulgate such  rules,
 regulations  and  standards  as may be necessary and proper to implement
 the provisions of this act, including the undertaking of the survey, the
 establishment of the language assistance programs and the monitoring  of
 such programs to ensure on-going compliance by the developments at which
 the programs are instituted.
   § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S3104

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Sponsored By

Jose M. Serrano

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Housing, Construction And Community Development Committee

co-Sponsors

Jamaal T. Bailey

Jesse Hamilton

Gustavo Rivera

James Sanders Jr.

2017-S3104 (ACTIVE) - Details

2017-S3104 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2017-S3104 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2017-S3104 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments