File #: Int 1013-2023    Version: * Name: Outreach about fraudulent schemes committed by providers of immigration assistance services.
Type: Introduction Status: Filed (End of Session)
Committee: Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection
On agenda: 4/27/2023
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to outreach about fraudulent schemes committed by providers of immigration assistance services
Sponsors: Shahana K. Hanif, Marjorie Velázquez, Mercedes Narcisse, Sandra Ung, Christopher Marte, Alexa Avilés, Shekar Krishnan, Linda Lee, Farah N. Louis, Julie Menin, Crystal Hudson, Gale A. Brewer, Kevin C. Riley, Carlina Rivera , Diana I. Ayala, Chi A. Ossé, Julie Won
Council Member Sponsors: 17
Summary: The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection is required to conduct outreach and education about fraudulent schemes committed by providers of immigration legal services. This bill would require the outreach to include information about common fraudulent schemes and how to avoid them and to be conducted through specific media, including television, internet, radio, print, subway advertisements, and LinkNYC kiosks. Outreach materials would also be distributed in public places. The bill would also require the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection to report annually on its outreach and education efforts.
Indexes: Report Required
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 1013, 2. Int. No. 1013, 3. April 27, 2023 - Stated Meeting Agenda, 4. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 4-27-23, 5. Minutes of the Stated Meeting - April 27, 2023

Int. No. 1013

 

By Council Members Hanif, Velázquez, Narcisse, Ung, Marte, Avilés, Krishnan, Lee, Louis, Menin, Hudson, Brewer, Riley, Rivera, Ayala, Ossé and Won

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to outreach about fraudulent schemes committed by providers of immigration assistance services

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. Sections 20-779.5 and 20-779.6 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as added by local law number 63 for the year 2017, are amended to read as follows:

§ 20-779.5 Reporting. a. In conjunction with the mayor’s office of immigrant affairs, the department shall prepare [and submit to the mayor and the speaker of the city council a] an annual report that includes the following information related to providers of immigration services:

1. [the number of complaints received related to providers of immigration assistance services, disaggregated by source and type] A table in which each row references a complaint received related to providers of immigration assistance services, and which indicates, for each complaint received, the type of the complaint, the source of the complaint, whether the complaint resulted in a violation, the type of violation issued, and the length of time the department required to investigate and determine whether to issue a violation;

2. [the number of proactive investigations that do not stem from a complaint conducted by the department] A table in which each row references a proactive investigation conducted by the department, and which indicates whether the investigation resulted in a violation, the type of violation issued, and the length of time the department required to investigate and determine whether to issue a violation for each proactive investigation;

3. [the number of violations issued, disaggregated by type;

4. the number of the violations issued that originated with a consumer complaint;

5. the number of violations issued as a result of a proactive investigation by the department;

6. the length of time the department required to investigate and determine whether to issue a violation for each complaint received;

7. a] A description of the department’s efforts to proactively investigate providers of immigration assistance services;

[8. a] 4. A description of the department’s efforts to collaborate with other law enforcement agencies on investigation, enforcement, and community education efforts; [and]

[9. a] 5. A description of changing trends in the provision of services and common fraudulent schemes[.];

6. A table in which each row references an outreach event related to fraud prevention hosted or attended by department staff, including a unique identification code for each outreach event, and which indicates, for each outreach event, the number of staff hours dedicated to the event, the number of staff in attendance, the date, time, borough, council district, and zip code of the event; and

7. A table in which each row references an advertising type related to community outreach and education, including television, radio, subway advertisements, print, or LinkNYC advertisements, and which indicates the duration of the each advertising campaign, the languages of each advertising campaign, and the cost of each advertisement campaign.

b. Such report shall be published on the department’s website and submitted [on or before October 1, 2017 and every six months thereafter until the year 2020] to the mayor, the speaker of the city council, and the public advocate no later than July 1 of each year, and shall include the information required by subdivision a of this section as it relates to the [six] 12 month period prior to the submission of such report.

§ 20-779.6 Community outreach and education. a. In conjunction with the mayor’s office of immigrant affairs the mayor’s office of ethnic and community media, and other appropriate agencies, the department shall engage in community outreach and education efforts to raise awareness about topics including but not limited to common fraudulent schemes committed by providers of immigration assistance services and the department’s complaint mechanisms and services. Outreach shall include information about immigration-related legal assistance and services offered by the city and how to access such services.

b. Outreach materials shall identify common fraudulent schemes committed by providers of immigration assistance services and provide information about how to avoid common fraudulent schemes.

c. The department shall conduct the community outreach and education efforts via television, internet, radio, print media, subway advertisements, and LinkNYC kiosks. Outreach materials shall be posted and distributed in public places, including but not limited to IDNYC registration sites, humanitarian emergency response and relief centers, asylum seeker resource navigation centers, public schools, and shelters or other facilities administered by city agencies for provision of social services.

d. Outreach materials shall be available in all designated citywide languages, as defined in section 23-1101, and all temporary languages identified pursuant to section 23-1105.

§ 2. This local law takes effect 60 days after it becomes law.

 

MLL

LS #11845

3/23/2023