Requires state departments, divisions, commissions, agencies and other entities which have a website to provide a link on such website to appropriate non-English information.

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S916-2013 Actions

• Jan 9, 2013: REFERRED TO FINANCE

S916-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S916

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring state agencies to
provide certain information in non-English languages

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To ensure the availability of information on any website maintained by
an entity of the state, for people of this state who are precluded
from utilizing the website because of a language barrier.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
This bill stipulates that any website maintained by an entity of the
state which provides materials explaining the services of the entity
and which is translated into a non-English language spoken by a
substantial number of the public served by any such entity, shall
provide a link on its website to appropriate non-English information.

EFFECTS OF PRESENT LAW WHICH THIS BILL WOULD ALTER:
The executive law is amended by adding a new section 164-e.

JUSTIFICATION:
The Internet has been making a marked increase in the impact on the
people of this state. Many people refer to the websites of state
departments, divisions, commissions, agencies, and other entities of
the state, for information regarding services available. There is a
substantial number of people who live, work and pay taxes in this
state who are unable to effectively make use of these websites,
either because they do not speak or write English at all, or because
their primary language is other than English. As a result, a
substantial number of people are presently being denied information
on services that would otherwise be available.

Enactment of this bill will ensure that any information on a website
maintained by an entity of the state is available for any persons of
this state to whom English is not a primary language.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2001/02 - A.9398 - Referred to Governmental operations
2003/04 - A.3842 - Referred to Governmental Operations
2005/06 - A.4309 - Advanced to Third Reading Cal. 250
2007/08 - A.3960 - Advanced to Third Reading Cal. 663
2009/10 - S.6883 - Ordered to Third Reading Cal. 259
          A.4387 - Ordered to Third Reading Cal. 690
2011-12 - S.2746

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
Unknown.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect 90 days after it shall have become a law.

S916-2013 Text

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

                                     916

                         2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                                 (PREFILED)

                               January 9, 2013
                                 ___________

  Introduced by Sens. SERRANO, PARKER, PERALTA, SQUADRON -- read twice and
    ordered  printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on
    Finance

  AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring state  agen-
    cies to provide certain information in non-English languages

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


    Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section  164-e
  to read as follows:

    S 164-E. WEBSITE MATERIAL. ANY STATE DEPARTMENT, DIVISION, COMMISSION,
  AGENCY  OR ANY OTHER ENTITY OF THE STATE WHICH MAINTAINS A WEBSITE WHICH
  PROVIDES ANY MATERIALS EXPLAINING SERVICES WHICH SUCH DEPARTMENT,  DIVI-
  SION,  COMMISSION,  AGENCY  OR OTHER ENTITY OF THE STATE PROVIDES TO THE
  PUBLIC AND WHICH IS TRANSLATED INTO A NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE SPOKEN  BY  A
  SUBSTANTIAL  NUMBER  OF THE PUBLIC SERVED BY ANY SUCH STATE ENTITY SHALL
  PROVIDE A LINK ON ITS WEBSITE TO APPROPRIATE NON-ENGLISH INFORMATION.
    S 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
  have become a law.





   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD00536-01-3