2023 New York Laws › EXC - Executive › Article 6 - Department of State › 94-B - Office for New Americans.

§   94-b.  Office  for  new  Americans.  1.  Legislative  intent.  The
legislature hereby finds  and  declares  that,  according  to  the  2010
census, approximately twenty-two percent of New Yorkers were not born in
the  United  States,  nine percent above the national average. For years
immigrants have come to the United States to  make  a  better  life  for
themselves.  It  is  of  utmost  importance  to the state that these new
Americans be given the tools to assist them in making a better life  for
themselves, particularly through programs that help develop and leverage
their skills and strengthen their connections with their communities and
through   programs   to  reduce  exploitation  of  vulnerable  immigrant
populations.
2. Definitions. For the purposes  of  this  section,  the  terms  "new
American" and "immigrant" shall refer to non-citizen domicilaries of New
York state whose country of origin is other than the United States.
3.  Office for new Americans; director. There is hereby created within
the department of state the office  for  new  Americans.  The  secretary
shall   appoint   a   director   of   the   office   to  accomplish  the
responsibilities set forth in this section. Such director shall  receive
an  annual  salary  within  amounts  appropriated and shall serve at the
pleasure of the secretary.
4. Organization of the office for new Americans. The  secretary  shall
have  the  power  to  establish, consolidate, reorganize, or abolish any
organizational units within the office as he or  she  determines  to  be
necessary  for  efficient  operation thereof. The secretary shall assign
functions  to  any  such  unit  and  may  appoint  staff,  agents,   and
consultants,  prescribe  their duties, and fix their compensation within
amounts appropriated.
5. Powers and duties of the office for new Americans. The  office  for
new Americans shall have the power and responsibility to:
(a) Create a network of neighborhood-based opportunity centers;
(b)  Increase access to English-for-speakers-of-other-languages (ESOL)
training, including by engaging not-for-profit organizations  and  other
qualified providers of ESOL training services;
(c)  Assist  immigrants  in  matters  relating  to immigration status,
including but not limited to assisting with the  naturalization  process
and applications for deferred action for childhood arrivals;
(d)  Connect  immigrants  to  business  resources  that  harness their
skills, employment referral programs, and  other  workforce  development
programs;
(e)  Develop  and  leverage  the skills of immigrants to benefit their
communities and the state;
(f)  Strengthen  the  connections   between   immigrants   and   their
communities through civic engagement;
(g) Reduce exploitation of immigrants;
(h)  Establish  a  toll-free  multi-lingual  hotline and a website for
purposes including but not limited to dissemination of information about
the programs and services offered  by  the  office  for  new  Americans,
referral  for  services, and receipt of complaints relating to fraud and
other related crimes against immigrants;
(i) Ensure that individuals referred by the  office  are  directed  to
service  providers  who are in compliance with article twenty-eight-C of
the general business  law  or  providers  certified  by  the  bureau  of
immigration appeals;
(j)  Using  information  developed  by the office through the hotline,
assist law enforcement in combatting crimes against immigrants;
(k) Advise the governor and  secretary  concerning  matters  affecting
immigrants  in  the  state  in  order  to promote and encourage the full
participation of immigrants in the state's civic and economic life;
(l) Coordinate with other state agencies  and  otherwise  marshal  the
resources of the state to serve the needs of immigrants;
(m)  Encourage  and  assist  local  governments  in the development of
activities to enhance civic engagement among immigrants and in immigrant
communities; and
(n) Beginning in two thousand fifteen, by June fifteenth of each year,
produce a report to the governor, the speaker of the assembly,  and  the
temporary  president  of  the  senate  describing  the activities of the
office, including but not limited to, summarizing calls received through
the hotline and website, information on ESOL training services  provided
by the office, the number of immigrants assisted through the opportunity
centers,   or  an  estimation  thereof,  the  status  of  any  workforce
development programs, and any other relevant information.