NY State Senate Bill 2021-S3015

Senate Bill S3015

2021-2022 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

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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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 05, 2022	referred to civil service and pensions
Jan 27, 2021	referred to civil service and pensions

co-Sponsors

2021-S3015 (ACTIVE) - Details

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:: 2017-2018: S8635
2019-2020: S1753
2023-2024: S3321

2021-S3015 (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; requires state agency to submit an annual report on language services.

2021-S3015 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S3015

SPONSOR: SEPULVEDA
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the civil service law, in relation to language assist-
ance services by state agencies

 
PURPOSE:

This legislation would ensure that limited English-proficient New York-
ers have access to services provided by state agencies through the
provision of interpreters and translated material.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section I of the bill amends the civil service law by adding section
55-d, which provides the following:

* Requires that every state agency provide language assistance services
to all limited English proficient individuals so as to ensure that all

such individuals who cannot 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. 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.

*Requires all state agencies to provide written notice as to the avail-
ability of language assistance services which includes oral interpreta-
tion and translations of forms and other materials. This notice shall
also be posted in conspicuous agency locations open for public business,
in all primary languages.

*Requires that all state agencies maintain a record of the primary
languages spoken by any Individual seeking or receiving language assist-
ance services at such agency.

*Requires all state agencies to submit an annual report assessing its
compliance with the requirements of this section.

*Requires all state agencies to maintain a record of the foreign
language primarily spoken by any individual seeking language assistance.

*Requires the department shall render each year to the Governor, and to
the legislature, on or before March first of each year, a written report
on agency compliance with the requirements of this section.

*Directs the president to promulgate rules and regulations as may be
necessary and proper to implement the provisions of this section, which
shall include the methodology to be used by agencies in determining
primary languages.

*Defines terms in the section.

Section II of the bill sets forth the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 provides that no person in the
United States shall, on the ground of race, color or national origin, be
excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be
subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving
federal assistance. The United States Department of Justice has stated
that failure to provide language assistance to limited English-speaking
individuals in federally funded, state supervised or administered
programs amounts to a violation of Title VI by discriminating against
such individuals based upon their national origin.

This legislation would ensure that New York State and county governments
are in compliance with Title VI by requiring the provision of translated
materials and interpreters to limited English speaking persons seeking
assistance and services.

This bill tries to address the need for translation services at state
and county offices. Many limited English-proficient New Yorkers fail to
receive adequate services due to failure to comply with Title VI regu-
lations.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

S.8635 of 2018, Referred to Civil Service and Pensions
S.1753 of 2019-20; Referred to Civil Service and Pensions

 
FISCAL IMPACT ON THE STATE:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect one hundred twentieth day after it shall have
become a law.

2021-S3015 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3015
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 27, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. SEPULVEDA, BIAGGI -- 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-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD03227-01-1

 S. 3015                             2
 
 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
 AND TRANSLATIONS OF FORMS AND OTHER MATERIALS. NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF
 LANGUAGE  ASSISTANCE SERVICES SHALL ALSO BE POSTED IN CONSPICUOUS AGENCY
 LOCATIONS OPEN FOR PUBLIC BUSINESS IN ALL PRIMARY LANGUAGES.
   3. ALL STATE AGENCIES SHALL MAINTAIN A RECORD OF THE PRIMARY LANGUAGES
 SPOKEN BY  ANY  INDIVIDUAL  SEEKING  OR  RECEIVING  LANGUAGE  ASSISTANCE
 SERVICES  AT  SUCH AGENCY. SUCH INFORMATION SHALL BE RECORDED WHETHER OR
 NOT SUCH INDIVIDUAL ACTUALLY OBTAINS SUCH SERVICE.
   4. (A) ALL STATE AGENCIES SHALL SUBMIT  TO  THE  PRESIDENT  AN  ANNUAL
 REPORT  ASSESSING  ITS COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION.
 THE REPORT SHALL IDENTIFY THE PRIMARY LANGUAGES USED BY THE PUBLIC,  AND
 THE  PERCENTAGE  OF  THE  AGENCY'S INTERACTION WITH THE PUBLIC WHO SPEAK
 EACH PRIMARY LANGUAGE.
   (B) ALL STATE AGENCIES SHALL MAINTAIN A RECORD OF THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE
 PRIMARILY SPOKEN BY ANY INDIVIDUAL SEEKING OR RECEIVING LANGUAGE ASSIST-
 ANCE SERVICES AT THE AGENCY. SUCH INFORMATION SHALL BE RECORDED  WHETHER
 OR NOT SUCH INDIVIDUAL ACTUALLY OBTAINS SERVICES.
   (C)  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL SUBMIT TO THE GOVERNOR AND TO THE LEGISLA-
 TURE, ON OR BEFORE, MARCH FIRST OF EACH YEAR, A WRITTEN REPORT ON AGENCY
 COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION. THE REPORT SHALL  ALSO
 COMPILE  AGENCY  FINDINGS AND IDENTIFY THE PRIMARY LANGUAGES USED BY THE
 PUBLIC, AND THE PERCENTAGE OF OVERALL AGENCY INTERACTION WITH THE PUBLIC
 WHO SPEAK EACH PRIMARY LANGUAGE. THIS REPORT SHALL ALSO INCLUDE INDIVID-
 UAL AGENCY REPORT SUBMISSIONS AS REQUIRED IN THIS SECTION.
   5. THE PRESIDENT SHALL PROMULGATE SUCH RULES AND REGULATIONS AS MAY BE
 NECESSARY AND PROPER TO IMPLEMENT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION,  WHICH
 SHALL  INCLUDE  THE  METHODOLOGY  TO  BE USED BY AGENCIES IN DETERMINING
 PRIMARY LANGUAGES.
   6. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION: (A) "PRIMARY  LANGUAGE"  MEANS  A
 LANGUAGE  OTHER  THAN  ENGLISH  THAT  IS EITHER (I) USED TO COMMUNICATE,
 DURING AT LEAST FIVE PERCENT OF PUBLIC VISITS IN A YEAR, BY  INDIVIDUALS
 OF  THE  PUBLIC  WHO CANNOT SPEAK, READ, WRITE OR UNDERSTAND THE ENGLISH
 LANGUAGE AT THE LEVEL OF PROFICIENCY NECESSARY  FOR  EFFECTIVE  COMMUNI-
 CATION  WITH  AGENCY  OFFICIALS;  OR (II) SPOKEN BY NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING
 INDIVIDUALS COMPRISING MORE THAN FIVE PERCENT OF THE AGENCY SERVICE AREA
 POPULATION, AS CALCULATED BY  USING  DEMOGRAPHIC  INFORMATION  AVAILABLE
 FROM THE UNITED STATES BUREAU OF THE CENSUS;
   (B)  "STATE  AGENCY"  MEANS ANY STATE DEPARTMENT, BOARD, BUREAU, DIVI-
 SION, COMMISSION, COMMITTEE, COUNCIL, OFFICE OR OTHER GOVERNMENTAL ENTI-
 TY PERFORMING A GOVERNMENTAL OR  PROPRIETARY  FUNCTION  FOR  THE  STATE,
 EXCEPT FOR THE JUDICIARY OR THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
   (C)  "LANGUAGE  ASSISTANCE  SERVICES"  MEANS INTERPRETATION AND TRANS-
 LATION SERVICES EITHER ORALLY OR IN WRITING.
   (D) "LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT INDIVIDUAL" MEANS A PERSON WHO IDENTI-
 FIES AS BEING OR IS UNABLE TO SPEAK, READ OR WRITE THE ENGLISH  LANGUAGE
 AT A LEVEL THAT PERMITS HIM OR HER TO INTERACT EFFECTIVELY WITH AN AGEN-
 CY.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
 it shall have become a law.

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Senate Bill S3015

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Sponsored By

Luis R. Sepúlveda