N.Y. EXC Law § 94-B — New York Code / Act EXC / Article 6 / Section 94-B
Office for new Americans
Status: in_force

§ 94-b. Office for new Americans. 1. Legislative intent. The\nlegislature hereby finds and declares that, according to the 2010\ncensus, approximately twenty-two percent of New Yorkers were not born in\nthe United States, nine percent above the national average. For years\nimmigrants have come to the United States to make a better life for\nthemselves. It is of utmost importance to the state that these new\nAmericans be given the tools to assist them in making a better life for\nthemselves, particularly through programs that help develop and leverage\ntheir skills and strengthen their connections with their communities and\nthrough programs to reduce exploitation of vulnerable immigrant\npopulations.\n  2. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the terms "new\nAmerican" and "immigrant" shall refer to non-citizen domicilaries of New\nYork state whose country of origin is other than the United States.\n  3. Office for new Americans; director. There is hereby created within\nthe department of state the office for new Americans. The secretary\nshall appoint a director of the office to accomplish the\nresponsibilities set forth in this section. Such director shall receive\nan annual salary within amounts appropriated and shall serve at the\npleasure of the secretary.\n  4. Organization of the office for new Americans. The secretary shall\nhave the power to establish, consolidate, reorganize, or abolish any\norganizational units within the office as he or she determines to be\nnecessary for efficient operation thereof. The secretary shall assign\nfunctions to any such unit and may appoint staff, agents, and\nconsultants, prescribe their duties, and fix their compensation within\namounts appropriated.\n  5. Powers and duties of the office for new Americans. The office for\nnew Americans shall have the power and responsibility to:\n  (a) Create a network of neighborhood-based opportunity centers;\n  (b) Increase access to English-for-speakers-of-other-languages (ESOL)\ntraining, including by engaging not-for-profit organizations and other\nqualified providers of ESOL training services;\n  (c) Assist immigrants in matters relating to immigration status,\nincluding but not limited to assisting with the naturalization process\nand applications for deferred action for childhood arrivals;\n  (d) Connect immigrants to business resources that harness their\nskills, employment referral programs, and other workforce development\nprograms;\n  (e) Develop and leverage the skills of immigrants to benefit their\ncommunities and the state;\n  (f) Strengthen the connections between immigrants and their\ncommunities through civic engagement;\n  (g) Reduce exploitation of immigrants;\n  (h) Establish a toll-free multi-lingual hotline and a website for\npurposes including but not limited to dissemination of information about\nthe programs and services offered by the office for new Americans,\nreferral for services, and receipt of complaints relating to fraud and\nother related crimes against immigrants;\n  (i) Ensure that individuals referred by the office are directed to\nservice providers who are in compliance with article twenty-eight-C of\nthe general business law or providers certified by the bureau of\nimmigration appeals;\n  (j) Using information developed by the office through the hotline,\nassist law enforcement in combatting crimes against immigrants;\n  (k) Advise the governor and secretary concerning matters affecting\nimmigrants in the state in order to promote and encourage the full\nparticipation of immigrants in the state's civic and economic life;\n  (l) Coordinate with other state agencies and otherwise marshal the\nresources of the state to serve the needs of immigrants;\n  (m) Encourage and assist local governments in the development of\nactivities to enhance civic engagement among immigrants and in immigrant\ncommunities;\n  (n) Beginning in two thousand fifteen, by June fifteenth of each year,\nproduce a report to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, and the\ntemporary president of the senate describing the activities of the\noffice, including but not limited to, summarizing calls received through\nthe hotline and website, information on ESOL training services provided\nby the office, the number of immigrants assisted through the opportunity\ncenters, or an estimation thereof, the status of any workforce\ndevelopment programs, and any other relevant information;\n  (o) Encourage the development of and provide for the establishment of\na state military immigrant family legacy program liaison, as provided in\nsection twenty-nine-b of the veterans' services law; and\n  (p) Request individuals seeking assistance from the office answer the\nfollowing questions: "Have you served in the United States military?"\n"Has someone in your family served in the United States military?"\nIndividuals identifying themselves or a family member as "intended\nrecipients" of the staff sergeant Alex R. Jimenez New York state\nmilitary immigrant family legacy program as such term is defined in\nparagraph (e) of subdivision one of section twenty-nine-b of the\nveterans' services law, shall be advised of such program. In addition,\nsuch individuals shall be informed that the department of veterans'\nservices and local veterans' service agencies established pursuant to\nsection seventeen of the veterans' services law provide assistance to\nuniformed service members, veterans and their families regarding\nbenefits available under federal and state law. Information regarding\nveterans and military status provided by assisted individuals shall be\nprotected as personal confidential material, and used only to identify\nsuch individuals as "intended recipients" of the staff sergeant Alex R.\nJimenez New York State military immigrant family legacy program, and to\nassist such individuals in matters relating to immigration status and\ncitizenship, and in referring such individuals to the department of\nveterans' services or local veterans' service agencies for information\nand assistance with regard to benefits and entitlements under federal\nand state law.\n