NY State Senate Bill 2023-S915

Senate Bill S915

2023-2024 Legislative Session

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

download bill text pdf

Current 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

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
Jun 10, 2023	committed to rules
May 10, 2023	advanced to third reading
May 09, 2023	2nd report cal.
May 08, 2023	1st report cal.757
Jan 09, 2023	referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs

Votes

- May 8, 2023 - Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs Committee Vote
  S915
  
  9
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs Committee Vote: May 8, 2023
      
      aye (9)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Ashby
      
      Brouk
      
      Harckham
      
      Sanders Jr.
      
      Scarcella-Spanton
      
      Serrano
      
      Stec
      
      Weik

2023-S915 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A439
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
2021-2022: S7441, A1017

2023-S915 (ACTIVE) - Summary

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

2023-S915 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S915

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

S.7441 of 2022- REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY
AFFAIRS

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2023-S915 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    915
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 9, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  COONEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi-
   ty and Military Affairs
 
 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.
                                                            LBD01455-01-3

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