S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  2109--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 14, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  FERNANDEZ, CRUZ, SAYEGH, SIMON, GLICK, COOK,
   GOTTFRIED, GONZALEZ-ROJAS -- read once and referred to  the  Committee
   on  Social Services -- recommitted to the Committee on Social Services
   in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- reported and referred to
   the Committee on Rules -- Rules Committee  discharged,  bill  amended,
   ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to the Committee on Rules
 
 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
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05463-03-2
 A. 2109--A                          2
              

 
   (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
 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.