A 824: Relates to providing language access services to individuals relating to tax abatement programs for rent-controlled and rent-regulated property occupied by senior citizens or persons with disabilities and senior citizen and disabled homeowners.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 824 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. KIM, LEVENBERG, DILAN, DeSTEFANO, REYES -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. DAVILA -- read once and referred to the Committee on Aging AN ACT to amend the real property tax law, in relation to providing language access services to individuals relating to the tax abatement program for rent-controlled and rent-regulated property occupied by senior citizens or persons with disabilities The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 467-b of the real property tax law 2 is amended by adding a new paragraph j to read as follows: 3 j. the entity responsible for the administration of the tax abatement 4 program shall develop and implement a plan to ensure adequate access to 5 information by individuals who have limited English proficiency or 6 otherwise require communication assistance. Such entity shall: 7 (1) translate necessary documents, including but not limited to, forms 8 and instructions provided to or completed by the program beneficiaries 9 or participants, into the six most common non-English languages spoken 10 by individuals with limited-English proficiency in the municipality that 11 offers this program pursuant to subdivision two of this section; 12 (2) offer, upon request, interpretation services between the entity 13 administering the program and an individual in the individual's primary 14 language with respect to the provision of services or benefits; and 15 (3) offer, upon request or demonstrated need, services to an individ- 16 ual who requires additional assistance due to partial or total deafness, 17 blindness, speech impediment, or cognitive impairment. 18 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01863-01-5