BILL NUMBER: S7407

SPONSOR: BAILEY
 
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 six most common non-English languages spoken by recipi-
ents to increase awareness and participation in the program.

 
SUMMARY OF MAIN PROVISIONS:

Section 1 would add a new subdivision 9 to section 95-a of the social
services law which would establishes a plan for the department to guar-
antee information access to individuals who are not proficient in
English or are in need of communication assistance. This plan includes
              

document translation into the six most common non-english languages
spoken in New York State, as well as interpretation services for partic-
ipants whose primary language is not English and who require additional
assistance due to partial or total deafness, blindness, speech imped-
iment, or cognitive impairment. Additionally, this section promotes
further translation services for low-income or elderly households to
inform them of their potentially eligibility in the program.

Section 2 is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

12.5% of New York State households face food insecurity. An average of
977,375 households do not have access to sufficient amounts of food to
live a safe and healthy life. The Supplemental Nutrition 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 eligibility have
access to it.

Currently there are 4,536,115 foreign-born individuals that make up 23%
of New York State's population. Many immigrant families are eligible to
receive SNAP benefits; however, they consistently access them at lower
rates than native families. Language inaccessibility is a 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 eligi-
bility. This bill would institute translation of necessary documents and
verbal interpretation services in the six most common non-English
languages spoken in New York State: Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Haitian-
Creole, Korean and Italian. 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:
New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined. There would be no cost associated with this legis-
lation if counties already have the availability to provide translation
services.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
On the ninetieth day after it shall have become law.