Bill Text: NY A02044 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes a pilot program to create a legal hotline for tenants.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-06 - referred to governmental operations [A02044 Detail]
Download: New_York-2015-A02044-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 2044 2015-2016 Regular Sessions I N A S S E M B L Y January 15, 2015 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. QUART -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing a pilot program to create a legal hotline for tenants THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 75 to 2 read as follows: 3 S 75. LEGAL HOTLINE FOR TENANTS PILOT PROGRAM. 1. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL 4 SHALL ESTABLISH A PILOT PROGRAM TO CREATE A LEGAL HOTLINE FOR TENANTS. 5 THE PILOT PROGRAM SHALL BE ADMINISTERED BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. 6 2. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SHALL RECRUIT ATTORNEYS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 7 PROGRAM. ATTORNEYS WILL NOT BE COMMITTED TO REPRESENTING ANY TENANTS 8 THAT THEY ADVISE THROUGH THE PROGRAM. 9 3. THE LEGAL HOTLINE FOR TENANTS SHALL BE ACCESSIBLE VIA A TOLL-FREE 10 PHONE NUMBER THAT OPERATES, AT A MINIMUM, FROM 9 A.M.-5 P.M. MONDAY 11 THROUGH FRIDAY. 12 4. TENANTS SHALL CALL THE HOTLINE AND DESCRIBE THEIR PROBLEM TO AN 13 INTAKE COUNSELOR, WHO SHALL REFER THE TENANTS TO AN APPROPRIATE AND 14 AVAILABLE VOLUNTEER ATTORNEY. AFTER THE REFERRAL, THE ATTORNEY SHALL 15 CONTACT AND ADVISE THE TENANT. 16 5. ALL COSTS OF THE PILOT PROGRAM SHALL BE PAID FOR BY THE NEW YORK 17 INTEREST ON LAWYER ACCOUNT FUND, PURSUANT TO SECTION NINETY-SEVEN-V OF 18 THE STATE FINANCE LAW. 19 S 2. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD04509-01-5