Senate Bill S8635

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Ensures language assistance services by state agencies and requires state agencies to maintain records and to submit an annual report on language services

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Civil Service And Pensions 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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2017-S8635 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A1222
Current Committee:
Senate Civil Service And Pensions
Law Section:
Civil Service Law
Laws Affected:
Add §55-d, Civ Serv L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2009-2010: A10866
2011-2012: A7075
2013-2014: A1971
2015-2016: A245
2019-2020: S1753, A2181
2021-2022: S3015
2023-2024: S3321

2017-S8635 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Ensures language assistance services by state agencies; requires state agencies to maintain records of the primary language spoken by any individual seeking such assistance; and requires state agency to submit an annual report on language services.

2017-S8635 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2017-S8635 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8635
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 10, 2018
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the civil service law, in relation to language assist-
   ance services by state agencies
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  The  civil service law is amended by adding a new section
 55-d to read as follows:
   § 55-D. ENSURING LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE SERVICES BY  STATE  AGENCIES.  1.
 EVERY  STATE  AGENCY  SHALL  PROVIDE LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE SERVICES TO ALL
 LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT INDIVIDUALS SO AS TO  ENSURE  THAT  ALL  SUCH
 INDIVIDUALS  WHO  CANNOT  SPEAK,  READ,  WRITE OR UNDERSTAND THE ENGLISH
 LANGUAGE WITH THE PROFICIENCY NECESSARY FOR ADEQUATE COMMUNICATION  WITH
 AGENCY  PERSONNEL  HAVE  EFFECTIVE  ACCESS  TO THE AGENCY'S PROGRAMS AND
 SERVICES.  EVERY STATE AGENCY SHALL ENSURE THAT ALL INDIVIDUALS  PROVID-
 ING  LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE SERVICES TO LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT INDIVID-
 UALS HAVE SUFFICIENT FLUENCY IN BOTH ENGLISH AND THE  RELEVANT  LANGUAGE
 TO  COMMUNICATE  INFORMATION  NECESSARY  FOR  SUCH  INDIVIDUAL TO ACCESS
 SERVICES.   LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE SERVICES  FOR  PRIMARY  AND  NON-PRIMARY
 LANGUAGES  SHALL  BE  AVAILABLE  AT ALL AGENCY LOCATIONS OPEN FOR PUBLIC
 BUSINESS, AND SHALL, TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE, BE PROVIDED  IN  PERSON.
 TRANSLATION  OF  ALL  FREQUENTLY  USED FORMS AND OTHER WRITTEN MATERIALS
 THAT ARE ESSENTIAL TO ACCESS AGENCY SERVICES SHALL BE AVAILABLE  IN  ALL
 OF  THE  AGENCY'S  PRIMARY  LANGUAGES.  THE  PRESIDENT SHALL DEVELOP AND
 IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE  LANGUAGE  ASSISTANCE  PLAN  THAT  ESTABLISHES
 UNIFORM  POLICIES  AND  PROCEDURES  FOR  PROVIDING  LANGUAGE  ASSISTANCE
 SERVICES BY ALL STATE AGENCIES, INCLUDING PROCEDURES FOR DOCUMENTING THE
 PROVISION OF OR  REFUSAL  OF  LANGUAGE  ASSISTANCE  SERVICES,  AND  THAT
 REQUIRES TRAINING TO ENSURE THAT ALL STAFF WHO HAVE CONTACT WITH LIMITED
 ENGLISH PROFICIENT INDIVIDUALS COMPLY WITH THE PLAN. SUCH PERSON PROVID-
 ING  LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE SERVICES MAY BE A QUALIFIED INTERPRETER, VOLUN-
 TARY WORKER OR OTHER PERSONNEL CURRENTLY EMPLOYED BY THE AGENCY.
   2. ALL STATE AGENCIES SHALL PROVIDE WRITTEN NOTICE AS  TO  THE  AVAIL-
 ABILITY  OF  LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE SERVICES, INCLUDING ORAL INTERPRETATION
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

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