Bill Text: NY S01771 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced


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

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-13 - REFERRED TO SOCIAL SERVICES [S01771 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-S01771-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          1771

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    January 13, 2025
                                       ___________

        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:

     1    Section  1.  Section  95-a  of  the  social services law is amended by
     2  adding a new subdivision 9 to read as follows:
     3    9. (a) The department shall develop and implement  a  plan  to  ensure
     4  adequate  access  to information by individuals who have limited English
     5  proficiency or otherwise require  communication  assistance.    Notwith-
     6  standing  the  provisions  of  any  general, special or local law to the
     7  contrary, and subject to appropriation, the department shall:
     8    (i) translate necessary documents, including but not limited to, forms
     9  and instructions provided to or completed by the  program  beneficiaries
    10  or  participants,  into  the  twelve  most  common non-English languages
    11  spoken by individuals  with  limited-English  proficiency  in  New  York
    12  state,  based  on  United  States census data.   Pursuant to section two
    13  hundred  two-a  of  the  executive  law,  the  department  may,  in  its
    14  discretion, offer up to four additional languages beyond the twelve most
    15  common  languages.  Such additional languages shall be determined by the
    16  provisions established in such section two hundred two-a.
    17    (ii) offer, upon request, interpretation services between  the  entity
    18  administering the program and an individual in such individual's primary
    19  language with respect to the provision of services or benefits; and
    20    (iii)  offer,  upon request or demonstrated need, services to an indi-
    21  vidual who requires additional assistance due to partial or total  deaf-
    22  ness, blindness, speech impediment, or cognitive impairment; and
    23    (iv)  subject  to appropriation, work with the office for the aging to
    24  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.
                                                                   LBD04864-01-5

        S. 1771                             2

     1  informing  low-income  and  elderly  households  potentially eligible to
     2  receive supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits.
     3    (b)  Each  commissioner  of social services shall retain discretion to
     4  offer additional language translation services to low-income recipients,
     5  as necessary.
     6    § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
     7  have become a law.
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