NY State Senate Bill 2023-S5672

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Social Services 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, 2024	referred to social services
Mar 13, 2023	referred to social services

2023-S5672 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A7780
Current Committee:: Senate Social Services
Law Section:: Social Services Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §95-a, Soc Serv L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: A8470
2021-2022: A2109

2023-S5672 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Ensures adequate access to information by individuals who have limited English proficiency.

2023-S5672 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S5672

SPONSOR: FERNANDEZ
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the social services law, in relation to ensuring
adequate access to information by individuals who have limited English
proficiency

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill amends the social services law to assure individuals with
limited English proficiency and in need of communication assistance
receive appropriate written, verbal, and other language translation
services in the twelve most common non-English languages spoken by indi-
viduals in New York State to increase awareness and participation in the
program.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Adds a new subdivision 9 to section 95-a of the social
services law which would establish a plan for the department to guaran-

tee information access to individuals who are not proficient in English
or need communication assistance. This plan includes document trans-
lation in the twelve most common non-English languages spoken in New
York State, as well as interpretation services for participants whose
primary language is not English and who require additional assistance
due to partial or total deafness, blindness, speech impediment, or
cognitive impairment. Additionally, this section promotes further trans-
lation services for low-income or elderly households to inform them of
their potential eligibility to receive supplemental nutrition assistance
benefits.

Section 2: Sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

An average of 977,375 households do not have access to sufficient
amounts of food to live a safe and healthy life. The Supplemental Nutri-
tion Assistance Program (SNAP) provides 2,833,407 beneficiaries within
New York State with nutrition assistance. The amount of recipients will
increase when individuals with lower-level English proficiency, who are,
often times, unaware of the benefits of the program nor of their eligi-
bility have access to it. Currently there are 4,536,115 foreign-born
individuals that make up 230-of New York State's population. Many immi-
grant families are eligible to receive SNAP benefits; however, they
consistently access them at lower rates than native families. Language
inaccessibility is a major restriction for immigrants aiming to receive
SNAP benefits. Without English proficiency, individuals have a difficult
time understanding eligibility requirements and program enrollment and
compliances, as well as fear of jeopardizing their residential status
and citizenship eligibility. This bill would institute translation of
necessary documents and verbal interpretation services in the twelve
most common non-English languages spoken in New York State. This bill
would also give commissioner the discretion to provided additional
languages dependent on their counties' immigrant population. Verbal and
written translation services would raise awareness and increase program
participation.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-2022: A2109a

2020:  A8470

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

TBD

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become a law; provided, however, that the amendments to section 95-a of
the social services 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.

2023-S5672 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5672
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 13, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. FERNANDEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  social  services  law,  in relation to ensuring
   adequate access to information by individuals who have limited English
   proficiency

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section  95-a  of  the  social services law is amended by
 adding a new subdivision 9 to read as follows:
   9. (A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT  A  PLAN  TO  ENSURE
 ADEQUATE  ACCESS  TO INFORMATION BY INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE LIMITED ENGLISH
 PROFICIENCY OR OTHERWISE REQUIRE  COMMUNICATION  ASSISTANCE.    NOTWITH-
 STANDING  THE  PROVISIONS  OF  ANY  GENERAL, SPECIAL OR LOCAL LAW TO THE
 CONTRARY, AND SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL:
   (I) TRANSLATE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, FORMS
 AND INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED TO OR COMPLETED BY THE  PROGRAM  BENEFICIARIES
 OR  PARTICIPANTS,  INTO  THE  TWELVE  MOST  COMMON NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGES
 SPOKEN BY INDIVIDUALS  WITH  LIMITED-ENGLISH  PROFICIENCY  IN  NEW  YORK
 STATE,  BASED  ON  UNITED  STATES CENSUS DATA.   PURSUANT TO SECTION TWO
 HUNDRED  TWO-A  OF  THE  EXECUTIVE  LAW,  THE  DEPARTMENT  MAY,  IN  ITS
 DISCRETION, OFFER UP TO FOUR ADDITIONAL LANGUAGES BEYOND THE TWELVE MOST
 COMMON  LANGUAGES.  SUCH ADDITIONAL LANGUAGES SHALL BE DETERMINED BY THE
 PROVISIONS ESTABLISHED IN SUCH SECTION TWO HUNDRED TWO-A.
   (II) 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
   (III) OFFER, UPON REQUEST OR DEMONSTRATED NEED, SERVICES TO  AN  INDI-
 VIDUAL  WHO REQUIRES ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE DUE TO PARTIAL OR TOTAL DEAF-
 NESS, BLINDNESS, SPEECH IMPEDIMENT, OR COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT; AND
   (IV) SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION, WORK WITH THE OFFICE FOR THE  AGING  TO
 PROVIDE  ADDITIONAL TRANSLATION SERVICES TO BOTH AGENCIES TO ASSIST WITH
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09717-01-3

 S. 5672                             2
 
 INFORMING LOW-INCOME AND  ELDERLY  HOUSEHOLDS  POTENTIALLY  ELIGIBLE  TO
 RECEIVE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BENEFITS.
   (B)  EACH  COMMISSIONER  OF SOCIAL SERVICES SHALL RETAIN DISCRETION TO
 OFFER ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE TRANSLATION SERVICES TO LOW-INCOME RECIPIENTS,
 AS NECESSARY.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
 have  become  a  law;  provided, however, that the amendments to section
 95-a of the social services 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.

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Senate Bill S5672

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Social Services Committee

2023-S5672 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S5672 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S5672 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S5672 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S5672

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Sponsored By

Nathalia Fernandez

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Social Services Committee

2023-S5672 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S5672 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S5672 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S5672 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments