Relates to the powers of the head of the office of mental health and the head of the office for people with developmental disabilities to promulgate rules regarding communications needs of non-English speakers seeking or receiving services; includes the provision of language services and documents in English and the twelve most common non-English languages spoken by individuals in New York State based on United States census data.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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10201
IN SENATE
May 5, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. CLEARE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Mental Health
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to the powers of the
head of the office of mental health and the head of the office for
people with developmental disabilities to promulgate rules regarding
communications needs of non-English speaking individuals
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision (h) of section 7.09 of the mental hygiene law,
2 as added by chapter 301 of the laws of 1994 and relettered by section 2
3 of part I of chapter 58 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as
4 follows:
5 (h) The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations to address
6 the language assistance services and communications needs of non-English
7 speaking individuals seeking or receiving services in facilities oper-
8 ated or licensed by the office in order to facilitate their access to
9 services. Such rules and regulations shall include, but not be limited
10 to, documents, forms and materials being available in English and the
11 twelve most common non-English languages spoken by individuals in New
12 York state based on United States census data, and other reasonable
13 means to accommodate the language capabilities and preferences of non-
14 English speaking individuals in such facilities where a significant
15 number of non-English speaking individuals seek or receive services.
16 § 2. Subdivision (e) of section 13.09 of the mental hygiene law, as
17 added by chapter 301 of the laws of 1994, is amended to read as
18 follows:
19 (e) The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations to address
20 the language assistance services and communications needs of non-English
21 speaking individuals seeking or receiving services in facilities oper-
22 ated or licensed by the office in order to facilitate their access to
23 services. Such rules and regulations shall include, but not be limited
24 to, documents, forms, and materials being available in English and the
25 twelve most common non-English languages spoken by individuals in New
26 York state based on United States census data, and other reasonable
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15612-01-6
S. 10201 2
1 means to accommodate the language capabilities and preferences of non-
2 English speaking individuals in such facilities where a significant
3 number of non-English speaking individuals seek or receive services.
4 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
