S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K                   
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                                         6721                                  
                                                                               
                              1997-1998 Regular Sessions                       
                                                                               
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y                          
                                                                               
                                    March 25, 1997                             
                                      ___________                              
                                                                               
       Introduced by M. of A. SILVER -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BOYLAND,
         CLARK, COLTON, CONNELLY, DENIS, DIAZ, DINOWITZ, EVE, FARRELL, FELDMAN,
         GLICK,  GOTTFRIED,  GREENE,  GROMACK, HARENBERG, JACOBS, KLEIN, LAFAY-
         ETTE, LOPEZ, MAYERSOHN, McENENY, McLAUGHLIN,  MEEKS,  ORTIZ,  RAMIREZ,
         SCARBOROUGH,  TOWNS,  VANN, WEINSTEIN -- read once and referred to the
         Committee on Ways and Means                                           
                                                                               
       AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation to printing personal income tax
         returns in languages other than English                               
                                                                               
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:                                               
                                                                               
    1    Section 1.  The tax law is amended by adding a new section 654 to read
    2  as follows:                                                             
    3    S  654.  TAX RETURNS IN LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH. THE COMMISSIONER
    4  SHALL PRINT AND MAKE AVAILABLE NEW YORK INCOME TAX  RETURNS  PRINTED  IN
    5  LANGUAGES  OTHER  THAN  ENGLISH  FOR  LANGUAGES  SPOKEN  BY AT LEAST TWO
    6  HUNDRED THOUSAND RESIDENTS OF WHOM AT LEAST TWENTY PERCENT SPEAK ENGLISH
    7  NOT WELL OR NOT AT ALL AS  DETERMINED  IN  ACCORDANCE  WITH  THE  LATEST
    8  DECENNIAL FEDERAL CENSUS. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL MAKE REASONABLE EFFORTS
    9  TO  ADVERTISE THE AVAILABILITY OF SUCH RETURNS IN SUCH LANGUAGES` PUBLI-
   10  CATIONS AND MEDIA.                                                      
   11    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.                          
                                                                               
                                                                               
                                                                               
                                                                               
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             { } is old law to be omitted.                     
                                                                  LBD08659-01-7