Bill Text: NY A03049 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relates to providing access to services, law enforcement and counsel in certain immigration related matters.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 53-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2017-02-06 - REFERRED TO FINANCE [A03049 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-A03049-Introduced.html


                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          3049
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    January 25, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by M. of A. MOYA, HEASTIE, CRESPO, SOLAGES, LENTOL, FARRELL,
          RIVERA, ARROYO, BARRON, BICHOTTE, BLAKE,  COOK,  CAHILL,  JEAN-PIERRE,
          JOYNER,  DE LA ROSA,  DICKENS, HARRIS, HOOPER, HYNDMAN, MOSLEY, ORTIZ,
          PEOPLES-STOKES, PERRY,  NIOU,  PICHARDO,  OTIS,  PRETLOW,  RICHARDSON,
          RODRIGUEZ,  ROZIC, RAMOS, AUBRY, KIM, DAVILA, SEPULVEDA, TITUS -- read
          once and referred to the Committee on Codes
        AN ACT to amend the executive law and the judiciary law, in relation  to
          access to services, law enforcement and counsel in certain immigration
          related  matters;  and  to  amend  the  judiciary  law, in relation to
          compensation of legal counsel for certain matters
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1.  The executive law is amended by adding a new article 15-AA
     2  to read as follows:
     3                                ARTICLE 15-AA
     4    ACCESS TO SERVICES AND LAW ENFORCEMENT IN CERTAIN IMMIGRATION RELATED
     5                                   MATTERS
     6  Section 319.    Definitions.
     7          319-a.  Access to services, assistance and eligible benefits.
     8          319-b.  Federal  agencies  to  investigate  and  enforce federal
     9                    immigration laws.
    10          319-c.  Confidentiality of information.
    11          319-d.  Custody of certain persons: bail and  related  pre-trial
    12                    issues.
    13          319-e.  Civil immigration warrants.
    14          319-f.  Limitation on use of certain facilities.
    15          319-g.  Legal representation.
    16          319-h.  Prohibition on certain databases and registries.
    17  §  319.  Definitions.  For purposes of this article, the following terms
    18  and phrases shall be defined as follows:
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD09294-02-7

        A. 3049                             2
     1    1. "Agency" shall mean  any  state  or  municipal  department,  board,
     2  bureau, division, commission, committee, public authority, public corpo-
     3  ration,  council,  office  or  other  governmental  entity  performing a
     4  governmental or proprietary function for the state or any  one  or  more
     5  municipalities thereof.
     6    2.  "Agent"  shall  mean  any officer, official, employee or volunteer
     7  working for, employed by or providing assistance to an agency.
     8    3. "Civil immigration warrant" shall mean  an  administrative  request
     9  for detention issued pursuant to 8 C.F.R. § 287.7 or any similar request
    10  issued by an agency or agent of the United States for the detention of a
    11  person suspected of violating the immigration law of the United States.
    12    4. "Federal immigration authority" shall mean any officer, employee or
    13  person  otherwise  paid  by  or  acting as an agent of the United States
    14  immigration and customs enforcement or any division thereof or any other
    15  officer, employee or person otherwise paid by or acting as an  agent  of
    16  the  United  States department of homeland security or any other federal
    17  entity who is charged with enforcement of the provisions of any  federal
    18  immigration law.
    19    5. "Health care provider" shall mean a health care provider as defined
    20  in  subdivision  six  of  section two hundred thirty-eight of the public
    21  health law.
    22    6. "Immigration status" or "immigration status information" shall mean
    23  immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of an individual under the  laws
    24  and regulations of the United States of America.
    25    7. "Judicial warrant" shall mean a warrant based on probable cause and
    26  issued by a judge serving pursuant to article three of the United States
    27  constitution or a federal magistrate judge serving by appointment pursu-
    28  ant to 28 U.S.C.  § 631, that authorizes a federal immigration authority
    29  to take into custody a person who is the subject of such warrant.
    30    8. "Law enforcement agency" shall mean any agency that is empowered by
    31  law  to  conduct  an  investigation  or  make  an  arrest for a crime or
    32  offense, or any agency that is authorized by law to prosecute or partic-
    33  ipate in the prosecution of a crime or offense, or any agency authorized
    34  by law to jail, detain or imprison a person under color of law,  or  any
    35  agency employing a police officer, as defined in subdivision thirty-four
    36  of  section  1.20  of  the  criminal  procedure law or peace officer, as
    37  defined in subdivision thirty-three of  section  1.20  of  the  criminal
    38  procedure law.
    39    9. "Terrorist screening database" shall mean the United States terror-
    40  ist  watch  list database lawfully maintained by the terrorist screening
    41  center of the government of the United States.
    42    § 319-a. Access to services, assistance and eligible benefits.  1.  No
    43  state  or  local  agency,  or agent thereof, or health care provider may
    44  make any inquiry or record any information  concerning  the  immigration
    45  status  of  a person who is seeking assistance, services or benefits for
    46  himself, herself, or a family or household member as defined in subdivi-
    47  sion two of section four hundred fifty-nine-a of the social services law
    48  or for any other potential beneficiary of such assistance,  services  or
    49  benefits.
    50    2.  No  state or local law enforcement agency, or agent thereof, shall
    51  make any inquiry or record any information  concerning  the  immigration
    52  status of a person who contacts, approaches or asks for or is in need of
    53  the assistance of a law enforcement agency.
    54    3.  Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivisions one and two of this
    55  section, limited inquiry and recording of  such  information  concerning
    56  the  relevant person may be made when, as documented with specificity in

        A. 3049                             3
     1  such agency, employee or agent's or health care provider's  case  record
     2  of the matter, such person's immigration status is:
     3    (a)  directly  relevant as a lawful criterion for such person's eligi-
     4  bility for the specific mode of assistance, services or benefits sought;
     5    (b) directly and highly relevant to the subject matter of a  specific,
     6  ongoing  law enforcement investigation engaged in by such state or local
     7  law enforcement agency or agent thereof;
     8    (c) specifically required to be obtained by such agency or agent ther-
     9  eof, or health care provider, by state or federal law;
    10    (d) requested by a health care provider for the benefit of the person,
    11  including but not limited to the referral of such person to benefits and
    12  services they may be eligible for, provided that the immigration  status
    13  of  such  person shall not be documented in any medical record and shall
    14  not be disclosed for any purpose; or
    15    (e) requested for the benefit of the person  by  the  office  for  new
    16  Americans established pursuant to section ninety-four-b of this chapter,
    17  the  bureau  of  refugee and immigration assistance within the office of
    18  temporary and disability assistance, or any other similar agency that is
    19  assisting such person in matters related to  such  person's  immigration
    20  status,  provided  that the status of such person shall not be disclosed
    21  for any purpose.
    22    4. In addition to any other right to the assistance of  interpretation
    23  or  translation  services, any foreign-born person, or person not profi-
    24  cient in the English language, to whom inquiry is made pursuant to  this
    25  section  shall  be entitled to the assistance of a neutral and qualified
    26  interpreter or translator, as the case may  be,  with  respect  to  such
    27  inquiry, provided at no cost or expense to such person.
    28    §  319-b.  Federal  agencies  to investigate and enforce federal immi-
    29  gration laws. 1. No state or local  law  enforcement  agency,  or  agent
    30  thereof,  shall  stop,  question,  interrogate, investigate or arrest an
    31  individual for any of the following:
    32    (a)  suspected  United  States  immigration  or   citizenship   status
    33  violation;
    34    (b)  suspected civil violation of the United States immigration law or
    35  authorized regulations; or
    36    (c) a civil immigration warrant.
    37    2. No state or local law enforcement agency, nor agent thereof,  shall
    38  make  any  inquiry  or record any information concerning the immigration
    39  status of an individual who contacts, approaches or asks for  or  is  in
    40  need of the assistance of a law enforcement agency, except to the extent
    41  necessary and authorized pursuant to this article.
    42    3.  No  state or local law enforcement agency, or agent thereof, shall
    43  perform the function of or be cross-designated as a federal  immigration
    44  officer  or  otherwise engage or significantly assist in the enforcement
    45  of federal immigration law, pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1357 (g) or any other
    46  federal law. Nothing in this subdivision shall prevent  detention  of  a
    47  person  in  accordance with and to the extent permitted by section three
    48  hundred nineteen-e of this article.
    49    4. In addition to any other right to the assistance of  interpretation
    50  or  translation  services, any foreign-born person, or person not profi-
    51  cient in the English language, to  whom  inquiry  is  made  pursuant  to
    52  subdivision  one or two of this section shall be entitled to the assist-
    53  ance of a neutral and qualified interpreter or translator, as  the  case
    54  may  be, with respect to such inquiry, provided at no cost or expense to
    55  such person.

        A. 3049                             4
     1    § 319-c. Confidentiality of information. Unless disclosure is required
     2  by a lawful court order, no state or local agency, or employee or  agent
     3  thereof, or health care provider or state or local law enforcement agen-
     4  cy,  or  agent thereof, shall provide to a federal immigration authority
     5  any  information  collected  or  obtained  with  respect  to a person in
     6  accordance with this article or otherwise, including but not limited  to
     7  home, work or school address, except that:
     8    1.  immigration  status  information shall be provided if requested by
     9  such federal immigration authority and required to be provided to it  in
    10  accordance with 8 U.S.C. 1373 or another controlling federal law;
    11    2. the division of criminal justice services or a qualified agency, as
    12  defined in subdivision nine of section eight hundred thirty-five of this
    13  chapter,  may  provide criminal history information, as defined in para-
    14  graph (c) of subdivision one of section eight  hundred  forty-five-b  of
    15  this  chapter,  when lawfully requested about a specific person and such
    16  disclosure is permitted by state law;
    17    3. except as provided in subdivision four of this  section,  a  health
    18  care  provider  may  provide  to a federal immigration authority medical
    19  record information, not including immigration status  information,  with
    20  the  consent of the subject of such medical record information, provided
    21  in accordance with the public health law; and
    22    4. a state or local agency, or employee or agent  thereof,  or  health
    23  care  provider or state or local law enforcement agency, or agent there-
    24  of, may provide such information, other than the  information  described
    25  in  subdivision one of this section, concerning an individual, including
    26  but not limited to physical  or  psychological  disability  information,
    27  status  as  a  victim of or witness to suspected criminal activity, home
    28  address, work address, and/or status as an  applicant  or  recipient  of
    29  public  assistance, only with informed written consent of the individual
    30  and, if represented by counsel, written authorization by such attorney.
    31    § 319-d. Custody  of  certain  persons:  bail  and  related  pre-trial
    32  issues.  1.    Except as provided in section three hundred nineteen-e of
    33  this article, no state or local law enforcement agency, or agent  there-
    34  of,  or court shall delay or deny release of a person on recognizance or
    35  bail, pursuant to article five hundred thirty of the criminal  procedure
    36  law  or  otherwise,  on  the basis of the person's immigration status, a
    37  civil immigration warrant, or a federal immigration authority's  request
    38  for  notification  about,  transfer  of,  detention  of, or interview or
    39  interrogation of such person.
    40    2. Upon receipt from a federal immigration authority of a civil  immi-
    41  gration  warrant,  or  a  request for transfer, notification, interview,
    42  interrogation or other request, a state or local law enforcement agency,
    43  or agent thereof, shall promptly notify the person who is the subject of
    44  such warrant or request, provide a copy of such warrant  or  request  to
    45  such  person, as the case may be, and inform such person of the right to
    46  counsel provisions of section three hundred nineteen-g of this  article,
    47  and,  inform  such  person,  reasonably  in advance of responding to the
    48  federal immigration authority, as to whether or not such agency  intends
    49  to comply with such warrant or request.
    50    3. A person in the custody of a state or local law enforcement agency,
    51  or  agent  thereof,  shall  be  subject to booking, processing, right to
    52  counsel, release and transfer procedures, policies and practices of that
    53  agency that are at least as protective of  individual  rights  as  other
    54  persons  in  such agency's custody, regardless of the person's actual or
    55  suspected immigration status.

        A. 3049                             5
     1    § 319-e. Civil immigration warrants. 1. A state or local law  enforce-
     2  ment agency, or agent thereof, lawfully holding a person in its custody,
     3  may  thereafter  detain such person solely on the basis of a civil immi-
     4  gration warrant, for a single period  not  exceeding  forty-eight  hours
     5  excluding  weekends and holidays, beyond the time when such person would
     6  otherwise have been released from such agency's custody, only if:
     7    (a) an authorized federal immigration agency presents  such  state  or
     8  local  law  enforcement agency with a judicial warrant for the detention
     9  of the person who is the subject of such civil  immigration  warrant  at
    10  the time such civil immigration warrant is presented; or
    11    (b)  notice  has  been received from a court or any other governmental
    12  entity, documenting that there is probable cause to believe  the  person
    13  illegally reentered the United States after a previous removal or return
    14  as  defined  in  8 U.S.C.   § 1326, and the person stands convicted of a
    15  violent felony offense as defined in subdivision one of section 70.02 of
    16  the penal law, or a class A felony offense defined in the penal law,  or
    17  an  offense  in  any  other  jurisdiction  that  has  the same essential
    18  elements of any such violent felony or class A offense; or
    19    (c) such person is identified by such state or local  law  enforcement
    20  agency as a likely match with a person listed in the terrorist screening
    21  database.
    22    2. Except to the extent that disclosure is required by federal law, no
    23  state  or  local law enforcement agency, or agent thereof, shall provide
    24  to a federal immigration authority, or another agency, entity or  person
    25  on  behalf  of a federal immigration authority, any information obtained
    26  concerning a person who is in or formerly was in  the  custody  of  such
    27  state  or  local law enforcement agency, or agent thereof, including but
    28  not limited to the person's  release  date,  court  appearance  date  or
    29  dates, home, work or school address.
    30    3.  Nothing in this section shall be construed to confer any authority
    31  on an entity to detain a person based on  a  civil  immigration  warrant
    32  beyond  the authority, if any, to do so that existed prior to the enact-
    33  ment of this section.
    34    4. This section shall supersede any conflicting policy,  rule,  proce-
    35  dure  and practice within the state of New York. Nothing in this section
    36  shall be construed to prohibit any entity from cooperating with a feder-
    37  al immigration authority to the extent required by federal law.  Nothing
    38  in  this  section  shall  be  interpreted or applied so as to create any
    39  power, duty or obligation in conflict with any federal law.
    40    § 319-f. Limitation on use of certain facilities. 1. No state or local
    41  law enforcement agency, or agent thereof, shall provide a federal  immi-
    42  gration  agency,  or agent thereof, with access to an individual in such
    43  law enforcement agency's custody or control.
    44    2. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision one of this  section,
    45  a  person  in the custody of a state or local law enforcement agency may
    46  request to be interviewed by a federal  law  enforcement  agency  or  an
    47  agent  thereof  only  with  knowing and voluntary written consent of the
    48  individual and, if represented by counsel, written authorization by such
    49  counsel, provided that if such individual  is  not  represented  and  is
    50  entitled  to  counsel  assigned  pursuant to section three hundred nine-
    51  teen-g of this article or article eighteen-B of the county  law,  he  or
    52  she  shall  be notified of such right and provided a reasonable opportu-
    53  nity to obtain such counsel before any such interview.
    54    3. In addition to any other right to the assistance of  interpretation
    55  or  translation  services, any foreign-born person, or person not profi-
    56  cient in the English language, to whom inquiry is made pursuant to  this

        A. 3049                             6
     1  section  shall  be entitled to the assistance of a neutral and qualified
     2  interpreter or translator, as the case may  be,  with  respect  to  such
     3  inquiry, provided at no cost or expense to such person.
     4    4.  Except  as  provided  in  subdivision two of this section, federal
     5  immigration authorities shall not be permitted to use or  maintain,  for
     6  the  purpose  of  interviewing any person or witness or investigating or
     7  adjudicating any alleged  violation  of  federal  immigration  law,  any
     8  office or quarters in any building or facility or any land owned, leased
     9  or operated by a state or local law enforcement agency.
    10    §  319-g.  Legal  representation. 1. A person unable to afford counsel
    11  against whom there is probable cause to commence a removal proceeding or
    12  against whom such a proceeding has been commenced, shall be entitled  to
    13  representation  by  assigned counsel and related assistance, pursuant to
    14  subdivision one of section thirty-five of the judiciary  law,  when  the
    15  person:
    16    (a)  was  present  in  this state when questioned, taken into custody,
    17  charged, summoned or presented  with  the  allegations  of  the  removal
    18  proceedings,  and the person resides or is detained in either this state
    19  or an adjoining state; or
    20    (b) resided  in  this  state  when  questioned,  taken  into  custody,
    21  charged,  summoned  or  presented  with  the  allegations of the removal
    22  proceedings, and the person continues to reside  in  this  state  or  an
    23  adjoining state, or if detained, continues to be detained in either this
    24  state or an adjoining state.
    25    2.  Representation  and related assistance provided in accordance with
    26  subdivision one of this section shall be a  state  charge,  pursuant  to
    27  subdivision one of section thirty-five of the judiciary law.
    28    §  319-h. Prohibition on certain databases and registries. No state or
    29  local law enforcement agency may use any  funds,  facilities,  property,
    30  equipment or personnel of such agency to investigate, enforce or provide
    31  assistance  in  the  investigation or enforcement of any federal program
    32  requiring registration of individuals,  or  maintaining  a  database  of
    33  individuals,  on  the basis of race, color, creed, gender, sexual orien-
    34  tation, religion, or national or ethnic origin.
    35    § 2. The opening paragraph of paragraph a of subdivision 1 of  section
    36  35  of  the  judiciary  law  is designated as subparagraph (i) and a new
    37  subparagraph (ii) is added to read as follows:
    38    (ii) Persons providing assigned  counsel  and  related  assistance  in
    39  immigration-related matters pursuant to section three hundred nineteen-g
    40  of  the  executive  law  shall  be  compensated  in accordance with this
    41  section. In any case where a person entitled to assigned  representation
    42  pursuant  to  section  three  hundred  nineteen-g  of  the executive law
    43  petitions the criminal court of the city of New York, the  county  court
    44  or  district  court,  with  jurisdiction where the person is to be ques-
    45  tioned or detained, or is detained, or was charged in such  immigration-
    46  related matter, or most recently resided, the court shall assign counsel
    47  in accordance with this section.
    48    §  3.  Severability.  If any clause, sentence, subdivision, paragraph,
    49  section or other part of this act shall be  adjudged  by  any  court  of
    50  competent  jurisdiction  to  be invalid, such judgment shall not affect,
    51  impair or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its
    52  operation to the clause, sentence, subdivision,  paragraph,  section  or
    53  part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment
    54  shall have been rendered.
    55    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
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