Bill Text: NY A10573 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to providing language access services; requires the workers' compensation board to provide for translation of documents and interpretation services and to publish a language access plan.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 21-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-05-31 - advanced to third reading cal.1062 [A10573 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-A10573-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          10573
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                       May 7, 2018
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  TITUS,  JOYNER, ORTIZ, JAFFEE, M. G. MILLER,
          ROZIC, BLAKE, SIMON, JEAN-PIERRE,  CAHILL,  SEAWRIGHT,  RIVERA,  GOTT-
          FRIED,  DICKENS,  L. ROSENTHAL,  LAVINE, COOK, NIOU, MOSLEY, ARROYO --
          Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ABBATE -- read once and referred to the
          Committee on Labor
        AN ACT to amend the workers' compensation law, in relation to  providing
          language access services
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. The workers' compensation law is amended by  adding  a  new
     2  section 17-a to read as follows:
     3    § 17-a. Limited English proficiency. 1. The board shall provide trans-
     4  lation  of  all documents and forms used by or issued to injured employ-
     5  ees. The translation  shall  be  in  the  six  most  common  non-English
     6  languages  spoken by individuals with limited-English proficiency in the
     7  state of New York.
     8    2. The board shall provide interpretation services to injured  employ-
     9  ees  with respect to its provision of services, information and/or bene-
    10  fits.
    11    3. The board shall publish a language access plan that reflects:
    12    (a) the means by which it provides language assistance services;
    13    (b) the titles of all available translated documents and the languages
    14  into which they have been translated;
    15    (c) the number of public contact positions at the board and the number
    16  of bilingual  employees  in  public  contact  positions,  including  the
    17  languages they speak;
    18    (d)  a  training  plan for board employees which includes, at minimum,
    19  annual training on its language  access  policies  and  how  to  provide
    20  language assistance services;
    21    (e)  a  plan  for  annual  internal monitoring of the board's language
    22  access plan;
    23    (f) a plan of how the board intends to  notify  injured  employees  of
    24  offered language assistant services; and
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD10025-04-8
        A. 10573                            2
     1    (g) the appointment of a language access coordinator at the board, who
     2  shall be publicly identified.
     3    4.  The  language  access  coordinator for the board shall monitor the
     4  board's compliance with this section by annually collecting data on  the
     5  provision  of  language  assistance services, the availability of trans-
     6  lated materials, whether signage is properly posted, and any other rele-
     7  vant measures.
     8    § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
     9  have  become  a  law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the
    10  addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule  or  regulation  necessary
    11  for  the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
    12  and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.