What's happening
This bill requires the New York Office of Court Administration to collect and publicly report data on limited English proficient litigants, excluding identifying information.
Why it matters
Highlights the scale and distribution of language barriers in New York courts. by requiring detailed, county- and court-level data on how many litigants have limited English proficiency and what their primary languages are. This can inform resource allocation and policy decisions.
Monitors the provision and types of language assistance services. (such as interpreters or translation) used in courts, helping identify gaps or disparities in access and ensuring that LEP litigants receive needed support.
Provides transparency and public accountability. by mandating that non-identifying, aggregate data be published online, allowing advocates, researchers, and the public to track court efforts toward language access and equity.
Protects litigant privacy. by explicitly prohibiting the inclusion or sharing of any identifying information, ensuring individuals cannot be singled out or exposed due to their language needs.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Track Court Language Needs
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Signed chap.621
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to assembly
- Passed senateVote 56–6
- 3rd reading cal.467
- Substituted for S1950A
- Referred to rules
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Amended on third reading 754a
- Advanced to third reading cal.376
- Reported
Show 2 earlier actions
- Reported referred to ways and means
- 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.
Track Court Language Needs
Senate Floor Calendar · Sponsor Jamaal Bailey
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
754--A Cal. No. 376
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 10, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. JOYNER, ORTIZ, GOTTFRIED, SIMON, BARRON, D'URSO, JAFFEE, COLTON, PERRY, WEPRIN, CRUZ, REYES -- read once and referred to the Committee on Judiciary -- reported and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means -- reported from committee, advanced to a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place on the order of third reading
AN ACT to amend the judiciary law, in relation to requiring the office of court administration to collect and maintain data on limited English proficient litigants in the state
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The judiciary law is amended by adding a new section 391 to read as follows:
§ 391. Limited English proficient litigants' data. 1. For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a) "primary language" means the dominant language a litigant speaks in everyday situations, including but not limited to their home, work, school, and community environments;
(b) "limited English proficient (LEP) litigant" means a participant in a legal proceeding, whose limited ability to speak or understand the English language, has created a communications barrier to understanding his or her legal rights or impairs his or her ability to participate fully in court programs or services; and
(c) "language assistance services" means oral and written services needed to assist LEP litigants to communicate effectively with court personnel and to provide LEP litigants with meaningful access to, and an equal opportunity to participate fully in, court programs or services, so that LEP litigants are placed in the same position as similarly situated persons for whom there is no such barrier.
2. The office of court administration shall collect and maintain data on all limited English proficient litigants in all courts within this
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00094-09-9
A. 754--A 2
state; provided, however, that such data shall not be collected from those courts designated as town or village courts. At a minimum, the office of court administration shall collect and maintain data on the following:
(a) the number of limited English proficient litigants who are litigants in courts within this state, disaggregated by court and county, and the primary language of such litigants;
(b) the number of such limited English proficient litigants served, disaggregated by court and county, the type of language assistance services provided and the primary language of the litigant served; and
(c) the number of interpreter personnel employed by the courts, disaggregated by court and county and the language translated or interpreted by such personnel.
3. The office of court administration shall make the data required by this section publicly available on its website, provided, however, that such data shall not include identifying information and nothing in this section shall be construed to permit the office of court administration to use, disseminate, or publish any identifying information, including a litigant's name, date of birth, social security number, docket number, or other unique identifier.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
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.