Relates to compensation paid to persons employed in positions requiring foreign language skills; establishes career ladders for persons holding such positions; establishes supervisory positions for persons required to have foreign language skills.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
898
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE(Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. MARTINEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions
AN ACT to amend the civil service law, in relation to the compensation
paid to persons employed in positions requiring foreign language
skills and directing the department of civil service to conduct a
study on certain job titles that require proficiency in a language
other than English
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 130 of the civil service law is amended by adding a
2 new subdivision 15 to read as follows:
3 15. Whenever the director finds that under prevailing wage practices
4 in private or other public employment in the state, employees in a given
5 occupation who are required to be proficient in a language other than
6 English receive a higher rate of pay than employees in the same occupa-
7 tion who are not required to be proficient in a language other than
8 English, the director may, subject to the approval of the director of
9 the budget, establish a pay differential for titles that require profi-
10 ciency in a language other than English. Such differential shall be in
11 addition to an employee's basic salary and shall not affect, impair or
12 impede any performance advance payments, performance awards, longevity
13 payments or other rights or benefits to which an employee may be enti-
14 tled under the provisions of this chapter, provided, however, that any
15 differential payable pursuant to this subdivision shall be included as
16 compensation for retirement purposes. A pay differential shall be termi-
17 nated for any employee when the employee ceases to be employed in the
18 position for which such pay differential was authorized. A pay differen-
19 tial shall remain in effect until terminated by the director of the
20 classification and compensation division with the consent of the direc-
21 tor of the budget or until a new pay differential is authorized pursuant
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01155-01-5
S. 898 2
1 to this subdivision. The director shall be authorized to determine how
2 such differential shall be paid, subject to the approval of the director
3 of the budget. The director of the budget may adopt such regulations as
4 such director may deem necessary to carry out the provisions of this
5 subdivision.
6 § 2. The department of civil service is hereby directed to conduct a
7 study and publish a report on titles in the state service that require
8 proficiency in a language other than English. The study and report shall
9 include, but not be limited to:
10 1. the number of employees in titles that require proficiency in a
11 language other than English and the appointment type held by such
12 employees;
13 2. the jurisdictional classification of such titles;
14 3. the salary grades and allocations of such titles;
15 4. a determination of whether the current salary allocations for each
16 title adequately reflect the title's responsibilities and duties;
17 5. whether any changes should be made to the current descriptions of
18 such titles to reflect more accurately the actual duties of such titles;
19 6. the gender and race/ethnicity identification of the employees in
20 such titles;
21 7. a list of state offices and/or departments with employees in such
22 titles and the location of such titles;
23 8. the number of times that examinations are held for appointment or
24 promotion into titles that require proficiency in a language other than
25 English in the past five years;
26 9. the number of individuals that have taken examinations for appoint-
27 ment or promotion into titles that require proficiency in a language
28 other than English in the past five years;
29 10. the number of times that existing employees in titles that require
30 proficiency in a language other than English transferred or were
31 promoted to a different title within the past five years; and
32 11. a determination of whether there are sufficient career mobility
33 opportunities in the state service for individuals employed in titles
34 that require proficiency in a language other than English.
35 § 3. For the purposes of this act, every public employer as defined in
36 this section shall provide all requested assistance and information to
37 the department of civil service in conducting the study required by this
38 act. It shall be the duty of each officer of the public employer to
39 comply with and aid in all proper ways in carrying into effect the
40 provisions of this study. For the purposes of this act, the term "public
41 employer" shall mean those employers with offices and positions in the
42 classified service of the state and the term "classified service" shall
43 have the same meaning as in section 40 of the civil service law.
44 § 4. The department of civil service shall submit such published
45 report pursuant to section two of this act to the speaker of the assem-
46 bly, the minority leader of the assembly, the temporary president of the
47 senate, the minority leader of the senate, and the governor's office of
48 employee relations no later than one year after the effective date of
49 this act.
50 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
