S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________

                                          547

                              2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y

                                      (PREFILED)

                                    January 7, 2009
                                      ___________

       Introduced by M. of A. JACOBS, ORTIZ, CLARK, COLTON, V. LOPEZ, GREENE --
         Multi-Sponsored  by  --  M.  of A. ALFANO, BRENNAN, CYMBROWITZ, GANTT,
         GLICK, GOTTFRIED, HIKIND, P. RIVERA, ROBINSON, SWEENEY, TOWNS, WEISEN-
         BERG, WRIGHT -- read once and referred  to  the  Committee  on  Social
         Services

       AN  ACT  to  amend  the social services law, in relation to enacting the
         access for new Americans act

         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

    1    Section  1.  Short title.  This act shall be known and may be cited as
    2  "the access for new Americans act".
    3    S 2. The social services law is amended by adding a new section 140 to
    4  read as follows:
    5    S 140. ACCESS FOR  NEW  AMERICANS  PRE-CITIZENSHIP  SERVICES.  1.  THE
    6  OFFICE  OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE SHALL IMPLEMENT AN ACCESS
    7  FOR NEW AMERICANS PROGRAM. SUCH PROGRAM  SHALL  PROVIDE  PRE-CITIZENSHIP
    8  SERVICES,  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO,  CIVIC AND ENGLISH CLASSES,
    9  ASSISTANCE WITH IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS  AND  RELATED  LEGAL  SERVICES,
   10  LANGUAGE  TRANSLATION  SERVICES, EMPLOYMENT REFERRALS, AND OTHER RELATED
   11  SERVICES NECESSARY TO ASSIST IMMIGRANTS.
   12    2. SUCH PROGRAM SHALL BE ADMINISTERED BY THE OFFICE OF  TEMPORARY  AND
   13  DISABILITY  ASSISTANCE  AND  FUNDS  SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO LOCAL AND
   14  COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH GRANTS DISTRIBUTED BY  THE  OFFICE
   15  OF  TEMPORARY  AND  DISABILITY ASSISTANCE AS APPROPRIATED TO SUCH OFFICE
   16  FOR SUCH PROGRAM AND ITS PURPOSES.
   17    S 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
   18  it shall have become a law, provided however, that effective  immediate-
   19  ly,  the  addition,  amendment  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation
   20  necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective  date  are
   21  authorized  and  directed  to  be  made  and completed on or before such
   22  effective date.

        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD02157-01-9