File #: Int 0723-2015    Version: Name: Development of protocols for inspector interactions with non-English speakers during agency inspections.
Type: Introduction Status: Enacted
Committee: Committee on Small Business
On agenda: 3/31/2015
Enactment date: 6/29/2015 Law number: 2015/065
Title: A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to the development of protocols for inspector interactions with non-English speakers during agency inspections
Sponsors: Melissa Mark-Viverito, Robert E. Cornegy, Jr., Maria Del Carmen Arroyo, Fernando Cabrera , Costa G. Constantinides, Mathieu Eugene, Corey D. Johnson, Brad S. Lander, Mark Levine, Rosie Mendez, Deborah L. Rose, Andrew Cohen, Carlos Menchaca, Margaret S. Chin, Ydanis A. Rodriguez, Daniel Dromm , Peter A. Koo, Karen Koslowitz, Ruben Wills, Antonio Reynoso, Chaim M. Deutsch, Paul A. Vallone, Helen K. Rosenthal, Ben Kallos, Inez D. Barron, Stephen T. Levin, Eric A. Ulrich
Council Member Sponsors: 27
Summary: This bill would require that the business owner’s bill of rights, which advises business owners of their rights as they relate to agency inspections, include translations in at least the top six languages spoken by limited-English proficient individuals as those languages are determined by the Department of City Planning based on United States census data. The bill would also require that the standardized customer service training curriculum developed by the Mayor’s Office of Operations for training agency inspectors include specific protocols for inspectors to follow when interacting with non-English speakers to ensure that such inspectors provide language translation services during inspections.
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 723-A, 2. Summary of Int. No. 723, 3. Int. No. 723 - 3/31/15, 4. March 31, 2015 - Stated Meeting Agenda with Links to Files, 5. Committee Report 4/14/15, 6. Hearing Testimony 4/14/15, 7. Committee Report 6/8/15, 8. Hearing Transcript 6/8/15, 9. June 10, 2015 - Stated Meeting Agenda with Links to Files, 10. Fiscal Impact Statement, 11. Mayor's Letter, 12. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 6-10-15, 13. Minutes of the Stated Meeting - June 10, 2015, 14. Local Law 65
Date Ver.Prime SponsorAction ByActionResultAction DetailsMeeting DetailsMultimedia
6/29/2015AMelissa Mark-Viverito City Council Recved from Mayor by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
6/29/2015AMelissa Mark-Viverito Mayor Signed Into Law by Mayor  Action details Meeting details Not available
6/23/2015AMelissa Mark-Viverito Mayor Hearing Held by Mayor  Action details Meeting details Not available
6/10/2015AMelissa Mark-Viverito City Council Sent to Mayor by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
6/10/2015AMelissa Mark-Viverito City Council Approved by CouncilPass Action details Meeting details Not available
6/8/2015*Melissa Mark-Viverito Committee on Small Business Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
6/8/2015*Melissa Mark-Viverito Committee on Small Business Amendment Proposed by Comm  Action details Meeting details Not available
6/8/2015*Melissa Mark-Viverito Committee on Small Business Amended by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
6/8/2015AMelissa Mark-Viverito Committee on Small Business Approved by CommitteePass Action details Meeting details Not available
4/14/2015*Melissa Mark-Viverito Committee on Consumer Affairs Laid Over by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
4/14/2015*Melissa Mark-Viverito Committee on Consumer Affairs Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
4/14/2015*Melissa Mark-Viverito Committee on Governmental Operations Laid Over by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
4/14/2015*Melissa Mark-Viverito Committee on Governmental Operations Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
4/14/2015*Melissa Mark-Viverito Committee on Small Business Laid Over by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
4/14/2015*Melissa Mark-Viverito Committee on Small Business Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
3/31/2015*Melissa Mark-Viverito City Council Referred to Comm by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
3/31/2015*Melissa Mark-Viverito City Council Introduced by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
Int. No. 723-A
 
By The Speaker (Council Member Mark-Viverito) and Council Members Cornegy, Arroyo, Cabrera, Constantinides, Eugene, Johnson, Lander, Levine, Mendez, Rose, Cohen, Menchaca, Chin, Rodriguez, Dromm, Koo, Koslowitz, Wills, Reynoso, Deutsch, Vallone, Rosenthal, Kallos, Barron, Levin and Ulrich
 
 
A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to the development of protocols for inspector interactions with non-English speakers during agency inspections
 
 
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
 
      Section 1. Paragraph one of subdivision f of section 15 of the New York city charter, as amended by local law number 132 for the year 2013, is amended to read as follows:
      f. 1. The office of operations shall develop a business owner's bill of rights. The bill of rights shall be in the form of a written document, drafted in plain language, that advises business owners of their rights as they relate to agency inspections. Such written document shall include translations of the bill of rights into at least the six languages most commonly spoken by limited English proficient individuals, as those languages are determined by the department of city planning. The bill of rights shall include, but not be limited to, notice of every business owner's right to: i) consistent enforcement of agency rules; ii) compliment or complain about an inspector or inspectors, and information sufficient to allow a business owner to do so; iii) contest a notice of violation before the relevant local tribunal, if any; iv) an inspector who behaves in a professional and courteous manner; v) an inspector who can answer reasonable questions relating to the inspection, or promptly makes an appropriate referral; vi) an inspector with a sound knowledge of the applicable laws, rules and regulations; vii) access information in languages other than English; and viii) request language interpretation services for agency inspections of the business.
§ 2. Paragraph one of subdivision g of section 15 of the New York city charter, as added by local law 33 for the year 2013, is amended to read as follows:
g. 1. The office of operations shall develop a standardized customer service training curriculum to be used, to the extent practicable, by relevant agencies for training agency inspectors. Such training shall include specific protocols for such inspectors to follow when interacting with non-English speakers to ensure that such inspectors provide language translation services during inspections. Such training shall also include culturally competent instruction on communicating effectively with immigrants and non-English speakers during inspections. For purposes of this subdivision, relevant agencies shall include the department of buildings, the department of consumer affairs, the department of health and mental hygiene, the department of environmental protection, the department of sanitation, and the bureau of fire prevention of the fire department.  
§ 3. This local law shall take effect thirty days following enactment.
 
JHC
LS#1303
6/2/15