§ 94-b. Office for new Americans. 1. Legislative intent. The
legislature hereby finds and declares that, according to the 2010
census, approximately twenty-two percent of New Yorkers were not born in
the United States, nine percent above the national average. For years
immigrants have come to the United States to make a better life for
themselves. It is of utmost importance to the state that these new
Americans be given the tools to assist them in making a better life for
themselves, particularly through programs that help develop and leverage
their skills and strengthen their connections with their communities and
through programs to reduce exploitation of vulnerable immigrant
populations.

2. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the terms "new
American" and "immigrant" shall refer to non-citizen domicilaries of New
York state whose country of origin is other than the United States.

3. Office for new Americans; director. There is hereby created within
the department of state the office for new Americans. The secretary
shall appoint a director of the office to accomplish the
responsibilities set forth in this section. Such director shall receive
an annual salary within amounts appropriated and shall serve at the
pleasure of the secretary.

4. Organization of the office for new Americans. The secretary shall
have the power to establish, consolidate, reorganize, or abolish any
organizational units within the office as he or she determines to be
necessary for efficient operation thereof. The secretary shall assign
functions to any such unit and may appoint staff, agents, and
consultants, prescribe their duties, and fix their compensation within
amounts appropriated.

5. Powers and duties of the office for new Americans. The office for
new Americans shall have the power and responsibility to:

(a) Create a network of neighborhood-based opportunity centers;

(b) Increase access to English-for-speakers-of-other-languages (ESOL)
training, including by engaging not-for-profit organizations and other
qualified providers of ESOL training services;

(c) Assist immigrants in matters relating to immigration status,
including but not limited to assisting with the naturalization process
and applications for deferred action for childhood arrivals;

(d) Connect immigrants to business resources that harness their
skills, employment referral programs, and other workforce development
programs;

(e) Develop and leverage the skills of immigrants to benefit their
communities and the state;

(f) Strengthen the connections between immigrants and their
communities through civic engagement;

(g) Reduce exploitation of immigrants;

(h) Establish a toll-free multi-lingual hotline and a website for
purposes including but not limited to dissemination of information about
the programs and services offered by the office for new Americans,
referral for services, and receipt of complaints relating to fraud and
other related crimes against immigrants;

(i) Ensure that individuals referred by the office are directed to
service providers who are in compliance with article twenty-eight-C of
the general business law or providers certified by the bureau of
immigration appeals;

(j) Using information developed by the office through the hotline,
assist law enforcement in combatting crimes against immigrants;

(k) Advise the governor and secretary concerning matters affecting
immigrants in the state in order to promote and encourage the full
participation of immigrants in the state's civic and economic life;

(l) Coordinate with other state agencies and otherwise marshal the
resources of the state to serve the needs of immigrants;

(m) Encourage and assist local governments in the development of
activities to enhance civic engagement among immigrants and in immigrant
communities; and

(n) Beginning in two thousand fifteen, by June fifteenth of each year,
produce a report to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, and the
temporary president of the senate describing the activities of the
office, including but not limited to, summarizing calls received through
the hotline and website, information on ESOL training services provided
by the office, the number of immigrants assisted through the opportunity
centers, or an estimation thereof, the status of any workforce
development programs, and any other relevant information.