A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the department of consumer affairs to provide outreach and education on consumer protection issues that affect immigrants

Int. No. 1087-A

By Council Members Espinal, The Speaker (Council Member Mark-Viverito), Palma, Dickens, Gentile, Rodriguez, Menchaca, Lander, Van Bramer, Rosenthal, Cohen, Chin, Dromm, Levin, Koslowitz, Vallone, Wills, Kallos and Ulrich

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the department of consumer affairs to provide outreach and education on consumer protection issues that affect immigrants

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

                     Section 1.  Subchapter 1 of chapter 5 of title 20 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 20-706.4 to read as follows:

                     § 20-706.4 Outreach and education program for immigrants relating to consumer protection. a. Definitions. For purposes of this section:

                     IDNYC. The term “IDNYC” means the New York city identity card established pursuant to section 3-115.

                     ITIN. The term “ITIN” means an individual taxpayer identification number issued by the internal revenue service for the purpose of filing federal taxes.

                     b. By December 1, 2016, the commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner of the mayor’s office of immigrant affairs, shall establish and implement an outreach and education program to promote the financial stability and success of immigrants. Such outreach and education program shall relate to access to consumer and financial products and services, and protection from risks and frauds to which certain immigrant consumers may be particularly vulnerable, including but not limited to identifying: (i) financial institutions that accept the IDNYC or ITIN for purposes of opening a bank account; (ii) risks and consequences to consumers of using non-bank institutions such as check cashers, money transfer companies and other similar financial institutions; (iii) state and local laws regulating employment and immigration assistance services; (iv) federal and state laws regulating tax preparers; and (v) local institutions that offer preferred products and services to immigrants and immigrant communities, such as community-based organizations, credit unions and other community development financial institutions.

                     c. Such outreach and education program shall also provide information related to the office of financial empowerment and its financial education providers. The outreach and education program shall include the production of educational materials that shall be made available on the department’s website and submitted to the commissioner of the mayor’s office of immigrant affairs. The educational materials made available on the department’s website pursuant to this section shall be made available in English and in the six languages most commonly spoken by limited English proficient individuals in the city as determined by the department of city planning. The commissioner shall review the educational materials made available on the department’s website on an annual basis, update the educational material as needed, and submit such updated materials each year to the commissioner of the mayor’s office of immigrant affairs on or before December 1 of each year.

                     § 2.                     This local law takes effect immediately.

LUR

LS# 6542

7/5/2016 6:49 PM