NY State Senate Bill 2021-S7441

Senate Bill S7441

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Relates to requiring sign language interpreters during live broadcast press conferences during a declared state of emergency

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 05, 2022	referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
Oct 15, 2021	referred to rules

2021-S7441 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A1017
Current Committee:: Senate Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs
Law Section:: Executive Law
Laws Affected:: Add §29-l, Exec L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S8469, A10642
2023-2024: S915, A439

2021-S7441 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires sign language interpreters during live broadcast press conferences during a declared state of emergency.

2021-S7441 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7441

SPONSOR: COONEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring sign
language interpreters during live broadcast press conferences during a
declared state of emergency

 
PURPOSE:

This legislation would mandate American Sign Language qualified inter-
preters be included at every live broadcast press conference hosted by
the Governor or chief executive of a county during a declared state of
emergency or local state of emergency

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Amends the executive law to provide that whenever the Gover-
nor or chief executive of a county declares a state of emergency or
local state of emergency such chief executives must provide an American
Sign Language qualified interpreter at every live broadcast press

conference during a declared state of emergency or local state of emer-
gency.

Section 2. Effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The current law does not require American Sign Language qualified inter-
preters to be included in live broadcast press conferences by the Gover-
nor or chief county executives during a declared state of emergency or
local state of emergency.

Having information readily available in real time is especially impor-
tant during a declared state of emergency. Although press conferences
are streamed online, not everyone has access to the internet to watch
the interpreted stream and closed captions are not always accurate. This
often leads to individuals having to rely on reporters, which can cause
confusion.

According to the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), Americans who
are deaf or hard of hearing are often the population that experiences
the most difficulty as it pertains to preparing for and recovering from
emergencies due to the lack of inclusivity during emergency press
conferences or announcements. It is imperative that elected officials
improve the access to emergency services for the deaf and hard of hear-
ing residents who rely on this service for crucial and potentially life-
saving information.

Additionally, this legislation holds chief executives responsible for
ensuring the sign language interpreter be physically positioned in a
manner that their face, body, arms and hands are visible in the video
transmission of the press conference at all times to ensure proper
interpretation and communication with the public.

The Suffolk County Legislature enacted local legislation requiring Amer-
ican Sign Language qualified interpreters at emergency press conferences
and Texas has released a set of guidelines for elected officials to
include such interpreters in emergency press conferences as well. It is
of paramount importance that New York State joins this effort to provide
deaf or hard of hearing individuals with crucial information during a
state of emergency or local state of emergency.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

S.8469 of 2020- REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY
AFFAIRS

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately

2021-S7441 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7441
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             October 15, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  COONEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend  the  executive  law,  in  relation  to  requiring  sign
   language interpreters during live broadcast press conferences during a
   declared state of emergency

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new  section  29-l
 to read as follows:
   § 29-L. DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY, BROADCAST REQUIREMENTS. WHENEVER THE
 GOVERNOR  HAS  DECLARED A DISASTER EMERGENCY PURSUANT TO SECTION TWENTY-
 EIGHT OF THIS ARTICLE, OR THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE COUNTY, OR WHERE  A
 COUNTY  IS  WHOLLY  CONTAINED  WITHIN A CITY, THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE
 CITY, HAS PROCLAIMED A LOCAL STATE  OF  EMERGENCY  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION
 TWENTY-FOUR  OF THIS ARTICLE, THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE MUST PROVIDE AN AMERI-
 CAN SIGN LANGUAGE QUALIFIED INTERPRETER WHO IS CERTIFIED BY A RECOGNIZED
 NATIONAL OR NEW YORK STATE CREDENTIALING AUTHORITY AT EVERY LIVE  BROAD-
 CAST  PRESS  CONFERENCE  DURING THE DECLARED STATE OF EMERGENCY OR LOCAL
 STATE OF EMERGENCY. TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE, THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE
 SHALL ENSURE THAT THE SIGN  LANGUAGE  INTERPRETER  SHALL  BE  PHYSICALLY
 POSITIONED  IN  A  MANNER THAT HIS OR HER FACE, BODY, ARMS AND HANDS ARE
 VISIBLE IN THE VIDEO TRANSMISSION OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE AT ALL TIMES.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05177-01-1

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