A4875 — Enacts the "language access expansion act"

Summary

Requires certain documents and forms to be provided in the twelve most common non-English languages spoken by limited English proficient immigrants of five years or less according to the American community survey, as published by the United States census bureau.

Bill Text

• Full text View text Current

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

This bill amends 1 section(s) of the New York Consolidated Laws: Section 202-a of the executive law.

• Section 202-a of the executive law

  based on the data in the most recent American Community Survey published by United States Census Bureau. Agencies subject to this section, in their discretion, may offer up to four additional languages beyond the twelve most common languages. Such additional languages shall be decided by the state agency in consultation with the office of general services and approved by the office of general services based on the number of limited-English proficient immigrants of five years or less in New York state in need of language translation services accord- ing to the American Community Survey, including the growth of recent arrival populations in the geographic regions in which the agency's services are offered, the population of limited-English proficient indi- viduals served by the agency, feedback from impacted community or advo- cacy groups, and any other relevant data published by the United States Census Bureau and . → (a) , including essential public documents such as forms and instructions provided to or completed by program beneficiaries or participants, at least italics including the most common non-English languages spoken by limited English proficient individuals who have arrived in the state within the last five years, based on aggregate data from the most recent decennial census, American community survey, and any additional sources that capture trends in language use and limited-English proficiency within immigrant and refugee populations (b) Each agency shall additionally make such translations available within each region of the state, as established by article eleven of the economic development law, in the three most common non-English languages which are spoken in that region and are not already included among the twelve languages specified in paragraph (a) of this subdivision. Such additional languages shall be decided by the state agency in consulta- tion with the office of general services and approved by the office of general services based on the number of limited-English proficient immi- grants who have arrived in New York state within the last five years, according to the United States census bureau and American community survey, including the growth of recent arrival populations in the geographic regions in which the agency's services are offered, the popu- lation of limited-English proficient individuals served by the agency, feedback from impacted community or advocacy groups, and any data collected from the sources listed in paragraph (a) of this subdivision. (c) The list of most common languages shall be reviewed and updated every two years, based on the most recent data collected by the United States census bureau and American community survey, including but not limited to the data sources listed in paragraph (a) of this subdivision. The office of language access, in consultation with the office of gener- al services, shall annually collect and publish data on the most common non-English languages most frequently served by public agencies. (d) The office of language access shall develop and distribute multi- lingual notices on or before December thirty-first, two thousand twen- ty-five, to inform asylum seekers, refugees, and public organizations, including community-based organizations and faith-based organizations, and other community stakeholders in the state of an individual's right to request an interpreter in their primary language and right to have essential documents and information translated in their primary language when engaging with public agencies, in accordance with existing state and federal language access requirements. (e) The state shall allocate annual funding to support translation, interpretation, and training resources necessary. (f) Each agency shall provide competent and timely interpretation services to individuals in their primary or preferred language with respect to the provisions of services and benefits. This includes both in-office services, and services provided outside of the department office. Competent interpretation shall mean spoken or signed, real-time communication in which the qualified human interpreter is fluent in both the source and target language and is trained as an interpreter. ; (x) accommodations for communication access shall be available upon request including American sign language interpretation via an on-site interpreter, video remote interpreter, or communication access real-time translation for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have hear- ing loss; (xi) a phone number or email address by which the public can lodge complaints against the agency for noncompliance, such complaints shall be kept for a minimum of two years; and (xii) a process to make public the number of complaints during a twelve month period against noncompliance and resolution to such complaints. TITLE 13 LANGUAGE ACCESS Section 2988. Language access. § 2988. Language access. 1. For

  amended

Action History

1. January 07, 2026

   REFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS

2. May 27, 2025

   REPORTED REFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS

3. February 06, 2025

   REFERRED TO GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS

Sponsors

• Manny De Los Santos · Primary

Subjects