What's happening
This bill requires New York City housing court documents and services to be provided in the seven most common local languages.
Why it matters
Reduces barriers for non-English speakers. by requiring eviction court documents and critical information to be provided in the seven most common local languages, making it easier for tenants to understand and respond to legal actions that could affect their housing.
Mandates multilingual access to eviction process information. not just in writing, but also via designated phone numbers and the court’s website, increasing practical access to help and guidance for speakers of those languages.
Expands oral language rights in court. by obligating the court to notify litigants of their right to interpretation during proceedings and settlement agreements, helping ensure that non-English speakers can fully participate in and comprehend their cases.
Requires ongoing updates and outreach. as the most common languages can change over time, pushing court administration to continually assess and respond to the city’s shifting linguistic landscape, thereby promoting equity in access to justice.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Translate Housing Court Papers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Substituted by S1951
- Advanced to third reading cal.330
- Reported
- Referred to judiciary
- Referred to judiciary
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Translate Housing Court Documents
Signed by Governor · Sponsor Jamaal Bailey
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2145
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 22, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. JOYNER, GOTTFRIED, SIMON, COOK, PERRY, ORTIZ, BICHOTTE, BARRON, D'URSO, JAFFEE, COLTON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Judiciary
AN ACT to amend the New York city civil court act, in relation to requiring the office of court administration to promulgate certain housing court documents provided to parties in their native language
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 110 of the New York city civil court act is amended by adding a new subdivision (q) to read as follows:
(q) (1) The office of court administration shall by rule promulgate a Spanish version of the Notice of Petition that shall include a designated telephone number which will provide information to the respondent in Spanish on the court process for eviction, and the Notice of Petition shall be required to be served together with an English version in all proceedings commenced under section seven hundred thirty-two of the real property actions and proceedings law.
(2) The office of court administration shall by rule promulgate a notice to be annexed to all Notices of Petitions subject to proceedings commenced under section seven hundred thirty-two of the real property actions and proceedings law, which shall state, in the six most common languages in the city of New York, after Spanish, that the respondent may obtain a copy of the Notice of Petition form in those six most common languages on the internet website of the office of court administration which shall be provided on this notice for this purpose, and may call a designated telephone number, listed on the notice, which will provide information on the court process for eviction in those six languages.
(3) The office of court administration shall by rule revise the text of the postcard currently required to be filed by petitioners in proceedings subject to article seven of the real property actions and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00171-01-9
A. 2145 2
proceedings law to include notice in the seven most common languages in the city of New York, that the respondent may call a designated telephone number, listed on the postcard, for more information on the court process for eviction.
(4) The office of court administration shall promulgate notices in the seven most common languages in the city of New York to be distributed to litigants in the housing part of the civil court advising them of the right to have all court proceedings and any agreements settling the case interpreted to them orally in their native language.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
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.