S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2350
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 22, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. PICHARDO -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Aging
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  real property tax law, in relation to providing
   language access services to individuals relating to the tax  abatement
   program  for  rent-controlled  and rent-regulated property occupied by
   senior citizens or persons with disabilities

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 467-b of the real property tax law
 is amended by adding a new paragraph j to read as follows:
   J.  THE ENTITY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE TAX ABATEMENT
 PROGRAM SHALL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A PLAN TO ENSURE ADEQUATE ACCESS  TO
 INFORMATION  BY  INDIVIDUALS  WHO  HAVE  LIMITED  ENGLISH PROFICIENCY OR
 OTHERWISE REQUIRE COMMUNICATION ASSISTANCE.  SUCH ENTITY SHALL:
   (1) TRANSLATE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, FORMS
 AND INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED TO OR COMPLETED BY THE  PROGRAM  BENEFICIARIES
 OR  PARTICIPANTS,  INTO THE SIX MOST COMMON NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGES SPOKEN
 BY INDIVIDUALS WITH LIMITED-ENGLISH PROFICIENCY IN THE MUNICIPALITY THAT
 OFFERS THIS PROGRAM PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION;
   (2) OFFER, UPON REQUEST, INTERPRETATION SERVICES  BETWEEN  THE  ENTITY
 ADMINISTERING  THE  PROGRAM  AND  AN  INDIVIDUAL  IN  HIS OR HER PRIMARY
 LANGUAGE WITH RESPECT TO THE PROVISION OF SERVICES OR BENEFITS; AND
   (3) OFFER, UPON REQUEST OR DEMONSTRATED NEED, SERVICES TO AN  INDIVID-
 UAL WHO REQUIRES ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE DUE TO PARTIAL OR TOTAL DEAFNESS,
 BLINDNESS, SPEECH IMPEDIMENT, OR COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT.
   §  2.  This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
 the amendments to subdivision 3 of section 467-b of  the  real  property
 tax  law made by section one of this act shall not affect the expiration
 and reversion of such section and shall be deemed to expire therewith.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05990-01-9