NY State Senate Bill 2023-S6096

Current Bill Status Via A5609 - Signed by Governor

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
Sep 15, 2023	signed chap.390
Sep 07, 2023	delivered to governor
May 31, 2023	returned to assembly passed senate 3rd reading cal.1063 substituted for s6096
May 31, 2023	substituted by a5609
May 22, 2023	advanced to third reading
May 18, 2023	2nd report cal.
May 17, 2023	1st report cal.1063
Mar 29, 2023	referred to labor

Votes

- May 31, 2023 - Floor Vote
  A5609
  
  58
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  5
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Floor Vote: May 31, 2023
      
      aye (58)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Bailey
      
      Borrello
      
      Breslin
      
      Brisport
      
      Brouk
      
      Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick
      
      Chu
      
      Cleare
      
      Comrie
      
      Fernandez
      
      Gallivan
      
      Gianaris
      
      Gonzalez
      
      Gounardes
      
      Griffo
      
      Harckham
      
      Helming
      
      Hinchey
      
      Hoylman-Sigal
      
      Jackson
      
      Kavanagh
      
      Kennedy
      
      Krueger
      
      Lanza
      
      Liu
      
      Mannion
      
      Martinez
      
      Mattera
      
      May
      
      Mayer
      
      Murray
      
      Myrie
      
      O'Mara
      
      Oberacker
      
      Ortt
      
      Palumbo
      
      Parker
      
      Persaud
      
      Ramos
      
      Rhoads
      
      Rivera
      
      Rolison
      
      Ryan
      
      Salazar
      
      Sanders Jr.
      
      Scarcella-Spanton
      
      Sepúlveda
      
      Serrano
      
      Skoufis
      
      Stavisky
      
      Stec
      
      Stewart-Cousins
      
      Tedisco
      
      Thomas
      
      Walczyk
      
      Webb
      
      Weber
      
      excused (5)
      
      Ashby
      
      Cooney
      
      Felder
      
      Martins
      
      Weik
  May 17, 2023 - Labor Committee Vote
  S6096
  
  13
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Labor Committee Vote: May 17, 2023
      
      aye (13)
      
      Fernandez
      
      Gounardes
      
      Jackson
      
      Martins
      
      Mattera
      
      Mayer
      
      Oberacker
      
      Ramos
      
      Rhoads
      
      Ryan
      
      Sanders Jr.
      
      Scarcella-Spanton
      
      Skoufis

2023-S6096 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A5609
Law Section:: Workers' Compensation Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §17-a, Work Comp L

2023-S6096 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to providing certain language access services for injured employees with limited English proficiency.

2023-S6096 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6096

SPONSOR: RAMOS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the workers' compensation law, in relation to providing
language access services

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

The purpose of this bill is to amend the Worker's Compensation Law in
relation to language access services to ensure consistency with the
provisions under the Executive Law.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one of the bill amends Section 17-a of the Worker's Compensation
Law to align provisions requiring document translation and language
access services with the requirements under Section 202-a of the Execu-
tive Law.

Section two of the bill establishes the effective date.

 
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):

N/A

 
JUSTIFICATION:

New York State is proudly diverse, with more than two hundred languages
spoken by its residents. Half of all New York City residents speak a
language other than English at home, and 13% of New York State residents
have limited English proficiency (LEP.) The linguistic diversity of New
York State demands that accommodations be made for those who have
language access needs. Many New Yorkers require translation of key docu-
ments and interpretation of various proceedings when interacting with
government agencies and programs.

Addressing language access needs is crucial in the Workers' Compensation
context.  LEP workers often work more dangerous, physically demanding,
lower paying jobs than workers who speak fluent English. For example, in
2014, 32.3% of people working construction jobs in the United States
were Latino or Hispanic, while Latino and Hispanic individuals make up
only 16.1% of people working in all occupations. That same year,
construction-related jobs were among the most dangerous in the country.
According to OSHA, 903 Latino workers were killed on the job in 2015.
When these workers are injured, they require translation and interpreta-
tion services in order to receive the Workers' Compensation benefits to
which they are entitled.  Competent interpretation services are crucial
in Workers' Compensation proceedings. Workers' Compensation is a compli-
cated area of law, and hearings employ a high amount of technical legal
language and acronyms. WCB proceedings can be challenging for any
layperson to understand, and lack of language access further complicate
claimants' ability to understand proceedings that are essential to their
health and livelihood.

Accordingly, it is crucial that New York's language access standards are
consistent across its various agencies. Aligning the language access
standards of the worker's compensation law with those already in the
executive law will remove confusion as to what is required of New York
State agencies so that those in need of language access services in the
workers' compensation system can be assured they will receive those
services as needed.

This bill would ensure that the language access plan published by the
Workers' Compensation Board is consistent with those implemented by
other state agencies to provide crucial services to claimants.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None to the State.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2023-S6096 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6096
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 29, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  RAMOS  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed 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:

   Section 1. Subdivisions 1 and  3  of  section  17-a  of  the  workers'
 compensation law, subdivision 1 as amended by chapter 131 of the laws of
 2022  and subdivision 3 as added by chapter 622 of the laws of 2021, are
 amended to read as follows:
   1. [The] IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION TWO HUNDRED TWO-A OF THE EXECUTIVE
 LAW, THE board shall provide translation of (a) all documents and  forms
 published  by  the  board that injured employees complete; [and] (b) all
 board documents that provide general information to injured employees on
 the process of applying for workers' compensation benefits; AND (C)  ALL
 OTHER  VITAL  DOCUMENTS  AS  DEFINED  BY SUBDIVISION FIVE OF SECTION TWO
 HUNDRED TWO-A OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW RELEVANT TO SERVICES OFFERED  BY  THE
 AGENCY.    [The  translation shall be in the ten most common non-English
 languages spoken by individuals with limited-English proficiency in  the
 state of New York.]
   3. The board shall [publish a language access plan that reflects]:
   (a)  [the  means  by  which  it provides language assistance services]
 DEVELOP A LANGUAGE ACCESS PLAN PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION THREE OF  SECTION
 TWO  HUNDRED  TWO-A  OF  THE  EXECUTIVE  LAW AND SUBMIT SUCH PLAN TO THE
 OFFICE OF GENERAL SERVICES;
   (b)  [the  titles  of  all  available  translated  documents  and  the
 languages  into  which  they  have  been translated] PUBLISH THE BOARD'S
 LANGUAGE ACCESS PLAN ON THE BOARD'S WEBSITE; AND
   (c) [the number of public contact  positions  at  the  board  and  the
 number of bilingual employees in public contact positions, including the
 languages they speak;

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10313-01-3

 S. 6096                             2

   (d)  a  training  plan for board employees which includes, at minimum,
 annual training on its language  access  policies  and  how  to  provide
 language assistance services;
   (e)  a  plan  for  annual  internal monitoring of the board's language
 access plan;
   (f) a plan of how the board intends to  notify  injured  employees  of
 offered language assistant services; and
   (g) the appointment of a language access coordinator at the board, who
 shall  be  publicly  identified] DESIGNATE A LANGUAGE ACCESS COORDINATOR
 WHO WILL WORK WITH THE OFFICE OF GENERAL SERVICES TO  ENSURE  COMPLIANCE
 WITH  THE  REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION AND SECTION TWO HUNDRED TWO-A OF
 THE EXECUTIVE LAW.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S6096

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status Via A5609 - Signed by Governor

May 31, 2023 - Floor Vote

Floor Vote: May 31, 2023

May 17, 2023 - Labor Committee Vote

Labor Committee Vote: May 17, 2023

2023-S6096 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S6096 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S6096 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S6096 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S6096

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Jessica Ramos

Current Bill Status Via A5609 - Signed by Governor

2023-S6096 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S6096 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S6096 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S6096 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments