NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A7132A
SPONSOR: Reyes TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to providing language
translation services to accommodate census self-reporting
PURPOSE:
Requires the Department of State to provide census-related translation
services that state agencies and localities can utilize to assist New
Yorkers with census self-reporting.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Amends the Executive Law by adding a new section 154, to
extend existing translation services to state agencies and localities,
for purposes of census self-reporting; and to expand upon those trans-
lation services to include, at a minimum, all languages used in census
self-reporting forms.
Section 2. Provides for the effective date.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AMENDED AND ORIGINAL VERSIONS:
This amended version of the bill changes the effective date to 2024 and
allows the Secretary of State to adopt additional regulations or rules
to support the implementation of this bill/law.
JUSTIFICATION:
Although the Census Bureau provides language support in over 50
languages and provides self-reporting forms in 12 languages, New Yorkers
speak over 200 languages, and those with limited or no English profi-
ciency are at high risk of not being counted in the census. According to
the American Survey, at least 113,000 New Yorkers speak a language at
home that will not be supported by the Census Bureau's translation
services.
Adequate statewide translation services will be essential in ensuring an
accurate census count of New Yorkers with limited or no English profi-
ciency. For this reason, it is critical for the state to identify any
existing language translation services, to use those services in accom-
modating census self-reporting, and in addition, provide expanded trans-
lation services, to assist with census self-reporting in at least all
the languages that the questionnaire will be translated into.
To effectively utilize these services throughout the state, this legis-
lation requires state agencies and localities notify the public of the
availability of these services by posting information online, working
with any relevant organizations to reach limited or non-English profi-
cient speakers, and by any other identified effective means. Addi-
tionally, to improve translation services for use in later decennial
censuses, the proposal requires the Department of State provide a report
each year following a decennial census in the prior year's use of these
services, along with recommendations.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2020 - A9928 - Died in Government Operations / S6897-A - Passed Senate
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Effective immediately.
