Add §§2858 & 2882, Pub Auth L; add §171, Exec L; add §139-l, St Fin L
 
Requires that telephone service provided by the state, a state agency, public authority or public benefit corporation be made available in English, Chinese, French Creole, Korean, Russian and Spanish.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4707
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 3, 2017
___________
Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, the executive law and the
state finance law, in relation to requiring the provision of telephone
service in other languages
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The public authorities law is amended by adding two new
2 sections 2858 and 2882 to read as follows:
3 § 2858. Telephone service languages. 1. Any public authority or public
4 benefit corporation that directly operates a telephone answering service
5 to respond to inquiries, questions or complaints made by the general
6 public, including the residents of the counties of Bronx, Kings, New
7 York, Queens and Richmond, shall ensure that such service be provided in
8 English, Chinese, French Creole, Korean, Russian and Spanish.
9 2. (a) Commencing with calendar year two thousand twenty-two, and
10 every five years thereafter, any public authority or public benefit
11 corporation subject to the provisions of subdivision one of this section
12 shall study and peruse the most recent population data compiled and
13 published by the United States census bureau to determine whether a
14 language other than those languages referred to in subdivision one of
15 this section is spoken by more than two per cent (2%) of the total resi-
16 dents of the counties of the Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens and Rich-
17 mond.
18 (b) If it is determined that a language other than those languages
19 referred to in subdivision one of this section is spoken by more than
20 two per cent (2%) of the total residents of the counties of the Bronx,
21 Kings, New York, Queens and Richmond, the public authority shall ensure
22 that such additional language is provided to the residents of such coun-
23 ties as required by subdivision one of this section.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07605-01-7
A. 4707 2
1 § 2882. Telephone service languages. 1. Notwithstanding any provision
2 of law to the contrary, all contracts, with a value of one million
3 dollars or more, made and awarded by any public authority or public
4 benefit corporation to operate or otherwise provide a telephone answer-
5 ing service to respond to inquiries, questions or complaints made by the
6 general public, including the residents of the counties of Bronx, Kings,
7 New York, Queens and Richmond, shall require that such service be
8 provided in English, Chinese, French Creole, Korean, Russian and Span-
9 ish.
10 2. (a) Commencing with calendar year two thousand twenty-two, and
11 every five years thereafter, any public authority or public benefit
12 corporation subject to the provisions of subdivision one of this section
13 shall study and peruse the most recent population data compiled and
14 published by the United States census bureau to determine whether a
15 language other than those languages referred to in subdivision one of
16 this section is spoken by more than two per cent (2%) of the total resi-
17 dents of the counties of the Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens and Rich-
18 mond.
19 (b) If it is determined that a language other than those languages
20 referred to in subdivision one of this section is spoken by more than
21 two per cent (2%) of the total residents of the counties of the Bronx,
22 Kings, New York, Queens and Richmond, the public authority shall ensure
23 that such additional language is provided to the residents of such coun-
24 ties as required by subdivision one of this section.
25 § 2. Article 7 of the executive law is amended by adding a new section
26 171 to read as follows:
27 § 171. Telephone service languages. 1. The state and any state agency,
28 as such term is defined in paragraph (a) of subdivision one of section
29 eighteen of the state finance law, that directly operates a telephone
30 answering service to respond to inquiries, questions or complaints made
31 by the general public, including the residents of the counties of Bronx,
32 Kings, New York, Queens and Richmond, shall ensure that such service be
33 provided in English, Chinese, French Creole, Korean, Russian and Span-
34 ish.
35 2. (a) Commencing with calendar year two thousand twenty-two, and
36 every five years thereafter, the state and any state agency subject to
37 the provisions of subdivision one of this section shall study and peruse
38 the most recent population data compiled and published by the United
39 States census bureau to determine whether a language other than those
40 languages referred to in subdivision one of this section is spoken by
41 more than two per cent (2%) of the total residents of the counties of
42 the Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens and Richmond.
43 (b) If it is determined that a language other than those languages
44 referred to in subdivision one of this section is spoken by more than
45 two per cent (2%) of the total residents of the counties of the Bronx,
46 Kings, New York, Queens and Richmond, the state or the applicable state
47 agency shall ensure that such additional language is provided to the
48 residents of such counties as required by subdivision one of this
49 section.
50 § 3. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 139-l to
51 read as follows:
52 § 139-l. Telephone service languages. 1. Notwithstanding any
53 provision of law to the contrary, all contracts, with a value of one
54 million dollars or more, made and awarded by the state or any state
55 agency, as such term is defined in paragraph (a) of subdivision one of
56 section eighteen of this chapter, to operate or otherwise provide a
A. 4707 3
1 telephone answering service to respond to inquiries, questions or
2 complaints made by the general public, including the residents of the
3 counties of Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens and Richmond, shall require
4 that such service be provided in English, Chinese, French Creole, Kore-
5 an, Russian and Spanish.
6 2. (a) Commencing with calendar year two thousand twenty-two, and
7 every five years thereafter, the state and any state agency subject to
8 the provisions of subdivision one of this section shall study and peruse
9 the most recent population data compiled and published by the United
10 States census bureau to determine whether a language other than those
11 languages referred to in subdivision one of this section is spoken by
12 more than two per cent (2%) of the total residents of the counties of
13 the Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens and Richmond.
14 (b) If it is determined that a language other than those languages
15 referred to in subdivision one of this section is spoken by more than
16 two per cent (2%) of the total residents of the counties of the Bronx,
17 Kings, New York, Queens and Richmond, the state or the applicable state
18 agency shall ensure that such additional language is provided to the
19 residents of such counties as required by subdivision one of this
20 section.
21 § 4. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
22 have become a law and shall apply to all contracts awarded or in effect
23 on or after such effective date.