What's happening
This bill requires state privatization contracts to include criteria for cultural competency and linguistic accessibility when evaluating proposals.
Why it matters
Prioritizes equitable service delivery. By requiring cultural competency and linguistic accessibility as key criteria in privatization contracts, the bill aims to ensure that services funded by the state better meet the diverse needs of New Yorkers, especially those from different cultural or language backgrounds.
Changes how contracts are awarded. The bill redefines what makes a proposal “competitive”—not just cost and quality, but also how well a provider can serve populations with varying cultural and linguistic needs, potentially shifting which vendors win contracts.
Impacts social services access and outcomes. By elevating these criteria, the bill could improve access to and the effectiveness of social services for communities that have historically faced language or cultural barriers, leading to better outcomes and greater trust in public programs.
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Who cares
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Require Culturally Competent Contracts
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History
- Referred to governmental operations
- Referred to governmental operations
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2475
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 20, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. HEVESI -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the state finance law and the social services law, in relation to factoring in the cultural competency and linguistic accessibility of privatization contracts
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 161 of the state finance law is amended by adding a new paragraph o to read as follows:
o. Establish guidelines for privatization contracts pursuant to section twenty-c of the social services law, such guidelines shall require criteria to elevate cultural competency and linguistic accessibility of services for such contract.
§ 2. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 1 of section 20-c of the social services law, as added by section 151 of part B of chapter 436 of the laws of 1997, is amended to read as follows:
(b) Social services districts may enter into a contract or agreement for the performance of functions, duties or obligations required to be performed pursuant to this chapter, however, the collective bargaining representative of employees who normally perform such functions or provide such services for such social services district shall be permitted the opportunity to competitively bid for any contract let pursuant to this section with the overall cost [and quality], cultural competency and linguistic accessibility of the proposal being major criteria in the selection.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02630-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.